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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 120 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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rest — a break
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. season — of the year
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. rest — what's left
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a great time
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. season — in sport
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stock — shares
  20. ground — the earth
  21. mine — for digging
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. foot — a measure

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