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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pop — music
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ball — a dance
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. stock — shares
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pop — to visit
  17. stock — goods
  18. pop — soda
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. ground — crushed
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. ground — the earth
  24. safe — out of danger

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