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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. ball — a great time
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. stock — goods
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. fall — to drop
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. suit — to fit
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. firm — decided
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. content — the amount
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. suit — in cards
  16. ball — a dance
  17. firm — a company
  18. suit — clothes
  19. firm — steady
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. content — happy

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