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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. drill — army training
  3. pop — to visit
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pop — music
  6. roll — a cake
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. spring — the season
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pop — soda
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. drill — the tool
  18. rock — music
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. spring — a coil
  21. roll — a list
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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