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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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 — shares
  2. club — for dancing
  3. root — of a plant
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. club — a group
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. club — for golf
  11. root — of a word
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stock — goods
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. dip — to sink
  17. sharp — clever
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. root — the cause
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to 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