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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. stock — goods
  3. mug — a face
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. mug — to rob
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mug — a cup
  10. stock — shares
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pass — a permit
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. sharp — clever
  18. stock — a soup base

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