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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 120 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. stock — shares
  3. mug — a cup
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. game — wild animals
  6. content — happy
  7. mug — to rob
  8. game — a match
  9. pit — a hole
  10. suit — to fit
  11. content — the amount
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. ball — a dance
  16. stock — goods
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mug — a face
  20. pit — in a race
  21. suit — clothes
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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