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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tear — to rip
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. stock — goods
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. tear — from crying
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stock — shares
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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