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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. cap — of ice
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. swing — music
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pop — music
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pop — soda
  13. swing — in golf
  14. hand — help
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. hand — in cards
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stock — shares
  24. mine — for digging

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