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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. object — a thing
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bound — certain
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. stock — shares
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. stock — goods
  15. pop — soda
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — the animal
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — an aim
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. rush — hurry
  24. calf — a young animal

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