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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. dip — to sink
  4. hand — help
  5. stock — goods
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — happy
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. hand — in cards
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. march — the month
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stock — shares
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. march — the month
  23. rush — hurry
  24. march — music

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