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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stock — goods
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — in a race
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pit — a hole
  9. last — final
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. season — of the year
  13. stock — shares
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. last — finally
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. last — to go on
  21. season — in sport
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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