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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. mark — a grade
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — music
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — shares
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bound — obliged

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