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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bank — for money
  5. stock — goods
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fine — all right
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. wound — an injury
  12. scale — in music
  13. fine — high quality
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stock — shares
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — a weight

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