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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stock — shares
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. season — in sport
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pass — a permit
  10. net — for catching
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. net — in sport
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. perch — the fish
  20. net — after costs
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — a list
  23. season — of the year
  24. lash — an eyelash

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