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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 120 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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. cap — a lid
  4. key — for a lock
  5. stock — shares
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cap — a hat
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. key — in music
  14. press — to push
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. press — a publisher
  20. sharp — clever
  21. cap — of ice
  22. pound — a weight
  23. press — newspapers
  24. stock — goods

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