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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — to protest
  4. march — the month
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. march — music
  7. can — a tin
  8. content — happy
  9. track — a song
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — a short time
  13. content — the amount
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. object — an aim
  17. stock — shares
  18. march — the month
  19. can — a tin
  20. track — a path
  21. can — to be able to
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. spell — magic
  24. track — to keep track

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