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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stock — goods
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stock — shares
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wind — moving air
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. calf — of the leg

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