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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. track — to keep track
  5. sharp — clever
  6. track — a song
  7. stock — goods
  8. track — a path
  9. ground — a position
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stock — shares
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pass — a permit

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