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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pop — soda
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. spell — a short time
  8. can — a tin
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. pop — to visit
  11. stock — shares
  12. spell — letters
  13. wound — an injury
  14. can — to be able to
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pop — music
  22. can — a tin
  23. spell — magic
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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