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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stock — goods
  3. can — a tin
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kick — in football
  12. drill — army training
  13. game — a match
  14. drill — a practice
  15. can — to be able to
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stock — shares
  22. spell — letters
  23. game — wild animals
  24. pitcher — a jug

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