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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. spring — the season
  4. club — for dancing
  5. stock — goods
  6. bulb — for light
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. club — a group
  11. pop — to visit
  12. race — a contest
  13. club — for golf
  14. race — humankind
  15. spring — of water
  16. bulb — for light
  17. spring — a coil
  18. stock — shares
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mark — a trace
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. mark — a grade

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