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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 smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stock — shares
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pound — a weight
  7. file — a document
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. stock — goods
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stand — to bear
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. sharp — clever
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. branch — a division
  23. pound — for dogs
  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