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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. foot — a measure
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stock — shares
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a ring
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pop — to visit
  24. foot — the bottom

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