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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 120 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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stock — goods
  4. scale — size or range
  5. field — a subject
  6. scale — in music
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. stock — shares
  11. mark — a grade
  12. stand — to bear
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. spell — letters
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. spell — magic
  18. field — for sport
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mark — a trace
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. field — farmland
  23. calf — of the leg
  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