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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. tube — a container
  3. race — humankind
  4. court — of law
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. court — of a king
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stock — goods
  14. race — the arms race
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. current — of water
  18. race — a contest
  19. court — for sport
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. perch — the fish
  24. stock — shares

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