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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. club — a group
  3. spell — a short time
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. tube — a container
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. clip — a video
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. clip — for paper
  12. wound — an injury
  13. spell — magic
  14. fine — high quality
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. wound — an injury
  17. clip — to cut
  18. stock — shares
  19. club — for golf
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. tube — the underground
  22. spell — letters
  23. club — for dancing
  24. fine — all right

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