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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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Word bank
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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. staff — employees
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. stock — shares
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. stock — goods
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. charge — in control
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. charge — a price
  17. staff — a stick
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. field — for sport
  21. charge — electricity
  22. staff — employees
  23. sharp — clever
  24. racket — for tennis

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