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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. rash — a series
  3. stock — goods
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bank — of a river
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bank — for money
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. rash — hasty
  15. tube — a container
  16. stock — shares
  17. bank — for money
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. scale — size or range
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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