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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. stock — goods
  4. club — for golf
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. scale — in music
  9. deal — to handle
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. club — for dancing
  12. cap — of ice
  13. present — the time now
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. present — there
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. stock — shares
  18. present — a gift
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. club — a group
  21. scale — size or range
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. nail — for a hammer

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