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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. stock — shares
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. kick — in football
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. race — the arms race
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bulb — for light
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. race — humankind
  18. stock — goods
  19. rash — a series
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. race — a contest

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