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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. stock — shares
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bound — obliged
  9. key — in music
  10. bound — tied together
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bound — certain
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rush — hurry
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pop — to visit

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