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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ball — a great time
  3. degree — from a university
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bank — for money
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. can — to be able to
  8. degree — an amount
  9. board — a committee
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. degree — temperature
  12. board — to get on
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. can — a tin
  16. spell — magic
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. spell — letters
  20. can — a tin
  21. stock — shares
  22. spell — a short time
  23. stock — goods
  24. ball — a round shape

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