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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. perch — the fish
  5. stock — goods
  6. pound — a weight
  7. can — to be able to
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. race — the arms race
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. stock — shares
  15. can — a tin
  16. field — farmland
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. can — a tin
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. field — a subject
  22. race — a contest
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. field — for sport

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