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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 120 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stock — shares
  4. key — the most important part
  5. scale — size or range
  6. row — to paddle
  7. can — to be able to
  8. ground — a position
  9. key — for a lock
  10. stock — goods
  11. ground — the earth
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. spring — of water
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. spring — the season
  18. ground — crushed
  19. scale — in music
  20. spring — a coil
  21. row — a line
  22. key — in music
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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