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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pass — a permit
  4. saw — the tool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. degree — from a university
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. stock — goods
  11. degree — temperature
  12. chip — for betting
  13. stock — shares
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. degree — an amount
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. chip — to eat
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bank — for money
  24. stock — a soup base

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