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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. chest — of your body
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. rest — a break
  6. object — a thing
  7. suit — in cards
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rest — what's left
  10. object — to protest
  11. stock — goods
  12. suit — clothes
  13. row — a line
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — to paddle
  16. suit — to fit
  17. sharp — clever
  18. stock — shares
  19. object — an aim
  20. chest — a box
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pound — for dogs

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