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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stock — goods
  7. march — the month
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. stock — shares
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. march — the month
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. cap — a lid
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. row — to paddle
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. march — music

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