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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bank — of a river
  4. spring — a coil
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pound — a weight
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. spring — the season
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bank — for money
  11. spring — of water
  12. lean — thin
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. lean — to bend
  24. fan — to cool the air

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