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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. hand — help
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. stock — shares
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pound — a weight
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. chair — a leader
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. court — for sport
  12. hand — in cards
  13. court — of a king
  14. bank — of a river
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. scale — in music
  24. court — of law

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