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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 124 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. stock — goods
  5. key — in music
  6. cold — not warm
  7. degree — an amount
  8. firm — steady
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. key — the most important part
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. firm — a company
  14. stock — shares
  15. can — a tin
  16. cold — an illness
  17. can — a tin
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. degree — temperature
  20. firm — decided
  21. can — to be able to
  22. rock — music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. degree — from a university

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