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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. stock — shares
  4. file — a line of people
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. season — in sport
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. craft — a skill
  10. file — a tool
  11. track — a song
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. track — to keep track
  14. file — a document
  15. track — a path
  16. fork — in a road
  17. stock — goods
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. season — of the year
  21. craft — boats
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — after costs

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