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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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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. cue — for pool
  7. last — final
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. last — to go on
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. ground — the earth
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. last — finally
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. stand — for spectators

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