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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. field — a subject
  3. object — to protest
  4. squash — to crush
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. season — of the year
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. field — farmland
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rest — what's left
  11. season — in sport
  12. stock — goods
  13. object — a thing
  14. field — for sport
  15. rest — a break
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. rest — what's left
  18. sharp — clever
  19. object — an aim
  20. stock — shares
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. squash — the sport

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