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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. stock — shares
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pit — a hole
  6. court — for sport
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. court — of a king
  13. stock — goods
  14. pit — in a race
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. spring — the season
  18. court — of law
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stock — a soup base

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