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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 116 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. suit — clothes
  3. rash — hasty
  4. tear — from crying
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. stock — shares
  7. degree — temperature
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. rash — a series
  13. suit — to fit
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stock — goods
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. degree — an amount
  19. tear — to rip
  20. suit — in cards
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bulb — for light
  23. degree — from a university
  24. tear — from crying

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