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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. spell — a short time
  3. kick — in football
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. sharp — clever
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stock — goods
  8. scale — size or range
  9. mark — a trace
  10. spell — magic
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. present — a gift
  17. stock — shares
  18. scale — in music
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. present — there
  21. spell — letters
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mark — a grade
  24. present — the time now

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