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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. drill — army training
  2. band — a music group
  3. stock — goods
  4. pop — soda
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rest — a break
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pop — to visit
  9. band — a ring
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stock — shares
  13. pop — music
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  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