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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. deal — to handle
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. scale — in music
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stock — goods
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. pound — a weight
  14. wound — an injury
  15. scale — size or range
  16. row — to paddle
  17. stock — shares
  18. row — a line
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. row — a quarrel

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