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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  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. stock — goods
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pound — a weight
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. snap — to click
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. stock — shares
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. lie — to recline
  17. prune — to trim
  18. squash — the sport
  19. prune — to trim
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bowl — to roll
  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