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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. 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 — clever
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stock — goods
  12. tear — from crying
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. tear — from crying
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stock — shares
  21. bass — low music
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. tear — to rip
  24. 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