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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. can — a tin
  3. mark — a grade
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. kid — to tease
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. band — a ring
  8. mark — a trace
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. band — a music group
  17. stock — goods
  18. lean — to bend
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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