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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. sharp — clever
  3. row — a line
  4. spring — of water
  5. row — to paddle
  6. stock — shares
  7. staff — employees
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pit — in a race
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. can — to be able to
  13. spring — a coil
  14. mug — a cup
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. spring — the season
  18. pit — a hole
  19. mug — a face
  20. can — a tin
  21. stock — goods
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. can — a tin

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