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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. chip — for betting
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pop — soda
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. drill — a practice
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pop — music
  14. drill — army training
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. drill — the tool
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — a safe

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