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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. pound — a weight
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — low music
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. stock — shares
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. scale — in music
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bass — the fish
  14. hand — in cards
  15. stock — goods
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. fall — to drop
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fall — to drop
  22. hand — help
  23. scale — size or range
  24. fall — the season

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