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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. ball — a dance
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. kick — in football
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stock — shares
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. roll — a list
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. chip — for betting
  21. roll — a cake
  22. chip — to eat
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. stock — goods

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