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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. spell — magic
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. scale — size or range
  7. swing — in golf
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. spell — a short time
  11. chip — for betting
  12. swing — music
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. stock — shares
  19. spell — letters
  20. rash — a series
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rash — hasty
  23. scale — in music
  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