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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. net — after costs
  6. rock — a stone
  7. net — for catching
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. object — a thing
  10. net — in sport
  11. row — a line
  12. object — to protest
  13. stock — goods
  14. roll — a list
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. object — an aim
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rash — hasty
  20. row — to paddle
  21. stock — shares
  22. roll — a cake
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. rock — music

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