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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. charge — a price
  4. bear — the animal
  5. scale — size or range
  6. charge — in control
  7. scale — in music
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mine — for digging
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. charge — electricity
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. content — the amount
  22. stock — goods
  23. content — happy
  24. scale — for weighing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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