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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. face — to point toward
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — shares
  11. face — to confront
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. rash — a series
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rash — hasty
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pitch — completely
  21. face — part of the head
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. fan — a supporter

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