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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 116 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. tube — a container
  10. capital — a city
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. suit — clothes
  14. tube — the underground
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. capital — money
  17. stock — shares
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. track — a path
  20. perch — the fish
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stock — goods
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. suit — in cards

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