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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. stock — goods
  3. cap — a hat
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stock — shares
  6. cap — of ice
  7. kid — child
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. kid — to tease
  17. cap — a lid
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. mark — a grade
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. sharp — clever

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