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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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. stock — goods
  2. swing — music
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. race — the arms race
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. date — the fruit
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. race — humankind
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. race — a contest
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pound — a weight
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. stock — shares
  23. swing — in golf
  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