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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. stock — shares
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pop — soda
  8. key — for a lock
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. squash — to crush
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — boats
  13. squash — the sport
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pound — a weight
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. key — the most important part
  20. craft — a skill
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. key — in music

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