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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stock — shares
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — a cake
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pit — in a race
  10. rush — hurry
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. chair — a leader
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — a hole
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. calf — of the leg

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