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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 116 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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mug — a cup
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. firm — steady
  6. chip — to eat
  7. season — of the year
  8. root — of a plant
  9. season — in sport
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. firm — a company
  13. mug — to rob
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cue — a signal
  16. stock — goods
  17. mug — a face
  18. cue — for pool
  19. firm — decided
  20. cue — a hint
  21. stock — shares
  22. root — of a word
  23. chip — for betting
  24. root — the cause

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