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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. can — a tin
  3. pop — music
  4. spring — a coil
  5. suit — to fit
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. rush — hurry
  9. court — of law
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. stock — shares
  12. court — for sport
  13. pop — soda
  14. suit — clothes
  15. spring — the season
  16. court — of a king
  17. spring — of water
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pop — to visit
  21. stock — goods
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. lash — an eyelash

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