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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. staff — employees
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. stock — goods
  7. rash — hasty
  8. content — the amount
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. shower — rain
  12. content — happy
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. shower — to wash
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. scale — size or range
  18. staff — employees
  19. stock — shares
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. staff — a stick
  23. scale — in music
  24. rash — a series

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