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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. track — a path
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. craft — a skill
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. track — to keep track
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. hand — help
  10. craft — boats
  11. bound — tied together
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bound — obliged
  14. track — a song
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. game — wild animals
  18. stock — shares
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. game — a match
  22. stock — goods
  23. bound — certain
  24. calf — a young animal

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