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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · last · bat · mark · calf · stock · rush · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mark — a grade
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — final
  6. stock — shares
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. row — a line
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. last — finally
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stock — goods
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mate — a friend

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