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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stock — shares
  3. present — the time now
  4. track — a path
  5. field — a subject
  6. track — a song
  7. club — a group
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. club — for golf
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. track — to keep track
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. present — a gift
  17. field — for sport
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. field — farmland
  22. present — there
  23. pitch — completely
  24. club — for dancing

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