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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. chip — to eat
  3. swing — music
  4. stock — goods
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bore — to tire
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stock — shares
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. swing — to play on

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