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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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pitch — completely
  5. fork — in a road
  6. stock — shares
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bass — low music
  10. tube — a container
  11. stock — goods
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rest — a break
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. calf — of the leg

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