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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pit — in a race
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. cap — a lid
  6. ground — crushed
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wax — to grow
  13. cap — of ice
  14. ground — a position
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pit — a hole
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bear — the animal
  21. ground — the earth
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. cap — a hat
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com