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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. suit — clothes
  6. row — to paddle
  7. chip — for betting
  8. row — a line
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stock — shares
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. drill — the tool
  16. capital — a city
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. chip — to eat
  20. drill — a practice
  21. capital — money
  22. suit — in cards
  23. drill — army training
  24. suit — to fit

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