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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. squash — the sport
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pit — a hole
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. key — in music
  9. degree — from a university
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pit — in a race
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. squash — to crush
  18. key — for a lock
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. stock — goods
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. stock — shares
  23. rush — hurry
  24. lash — to lash out

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