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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stock — goods
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. field — for sport
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wake — a trail
  10. field — farmland
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. toast — bread
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mark — a trace
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mark — a grade
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. field — a subject
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. stock — shares

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