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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mark — a grade
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — a permit
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mark — a trace
  10. spring — the season
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. firm — steady
  13. stock — goods
  14. spring — of water
  15. stock — shares
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. saw — the tool
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — decided
  24. spring — a coil

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