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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. squash — the sport
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stock — shares
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pitch — completely
  10. squash — to crush
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. track — a song
  13. pass — a permit
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. wound — an injury
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. track — a path
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  24. lash — to lash out

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