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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. stock — goods
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. race — a contest
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — child
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. net — for catching
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. net — after costs
  16. stock — shares
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. race — humankind
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. net — in sport
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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