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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 120 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. key — in music
  3. chip — to eat
  4. craft — boats
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stock — goods
  8. land — a country
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. chip — for betting
  11. craft — a skill
  12. kick — in football
  13. rest — a break
  14. key — for a lock
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. land — ground
  18. stock — shares
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. land — to come down
  22. key — the most important part
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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