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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. court — for sport
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. object — to protest
  6. chip — to eat
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stock — goods
  9. mine — for digging
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. stock — shares
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rush — hurry
  15. court — of a king
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. court — of law
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. object — an aim
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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