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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — happy
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. stock — goods
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. object — an aim
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. object — a thing
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. object — to protest
  20. stock — shares
  21. scale — size or range
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. scale — in music
  24. tube — a container

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