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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. scale — size or range
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. kick — in football
  7. sharp — clever
  8. club — for golf
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stock — goods
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. drill — a practice
  14. can — to be able to
  15. drill — army training
  16. club — a group
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. drill — the tool
  19. scale — in music
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. stock — shares
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. club — for dancing
  24. lash — an eyelash

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