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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stock — shares
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. stock — goods
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mine — for digging
  12. chair — a leader
  13. cap — a lid
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. rash — a series
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. ball — a round shape

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