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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. can — a tin
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. track — a path
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. ball — a dance
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. can — a tin
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. content — happy
  14. mark — a trace
  15. content — the amount
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stock — shares
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. mark — a grade
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. perch — the fish
  23. ball — a great time
  24. stock — a soup base

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