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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 116 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. saw — the tool
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. game — a match
  14. stock — goods
  15. capital — a city
  16. bass — the fish
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bass — low music
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. capital — money
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. saw — the tool
  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