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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. scale — in music
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. drill — the tool
  6. stock — goods
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. sharp — clever
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. drill — a practice
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. drill — army training
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter

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