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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stock — goods
  3. game — a match
  4. stock — shares
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. game — wild animals
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mine — for digging
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. fork — a garden tool

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