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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. stock — goods
  3. spell — letters
  4. key — in music
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — a weight
  11. scale — in music
  12. stock — shares
  13. roll — a cake
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. roll — a list
  17. key — the most important part
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. key — for a lock
  24. scale — size or range

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