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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. stock — goods
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stock — shares
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. capital — a city
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. club — for golf
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. club — for dancing
  16. current — electric
  17. club — a group
  18. current — of water
  19. capital — money
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. current — happening now
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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