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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. spell — magic
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pound — a weight
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. spell — letters
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. spell — a short time
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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