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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fork — in a road
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. stock — shares
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. net — for catching
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stock — goods
  14. net — after costs
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. net — in sport
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cap — of ice
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wax — to grow
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. racket — a loud noise

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