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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. ground — crushed
  5. stock — shares
  6. squash — the sport
  7. stock — goods
  8. pound — a weight
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a document
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. file — a tool
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. kid — child
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. ground — a position
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — to tease
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. squash — to crush
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stand — to bear

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