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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bat — the animal
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wound — an injury
  13. scale — size or range
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. deal — to handle
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. scale — in music
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. deal — an agreement

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