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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bound — tied together
  4. stock — goods
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stock — shares
  7. current — of water
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bound — obliged
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. rest — what's left
  12. current — electric
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. current — happening now
  15. bound — certain
  16. pound — a weight
  17. rest — a break
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stand — to bear
  24. wind — moving air

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