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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. stock — goods
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pop — to visit
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. object — a thing
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. root — the cause
  13. object — to protest
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pop — soda
  16. saw — the tool
  17. object — an aim
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. stock — shares
  23. pop — music
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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