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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. stock — shares
  3. can — a tin
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. can — a tin
  6. stock — goods
  7. squash — the sport
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. rule — government
  10. can — to be able to
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. squash — to crush
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. roll — a list
  16. object — an aim
  17. foot — a measure
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. object — a thing
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rule — a law
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. object — to protest

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