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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. mug — to rob
  5. stock — shares
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mug — a face
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. branch — a division
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mug — a cup
  17. sharp — clever
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. racket — for tennis

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