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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. stock — goods
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. club — for golf
  8. key — for a lock
  9. club — for dancing
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. club — a group
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fall — the season
  15. stock — shares
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. lash — to lash out

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