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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — from a university
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stock — goods
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. roll — a cake
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. roll — a list
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. degree — temperature
  18. stock — shares
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. cabinet — ministers

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