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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. game — a match
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. firm — steady
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stock — shares
  9. firm — decided
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. stock — goods
  13. kid — child
  14. firm — a company
  15. kid — to tease
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rush — to hurry

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