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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. scale — size or range
  4. wound — an injury
  5. club — for dancing
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. rest — a break
  9. stock — goods
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. club — for golf
  13. wound — an injury
  14. scale — in music
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. club — a group
  19. cell — in biology
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — a phone

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