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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stock — shares
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — a cake
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. vault — a safe
  14. row — to paddle
  15. stock — goods
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — a subject
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. row — a line
  20. chip — for betting
  21. field — farmland
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. row — a quarrel

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