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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. club — a group
  3. bound — tied together
  4. firm — a company
  5. rash — a series
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. firm — decided
  9. club — for golf
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — certain
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. stock — goods
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. firm — steady
  20. sharp — clever
  21. club — for dancing
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rash — hasty

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