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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. sharp — clever
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. rock — music
  6. stock — shares
  7. charge — electricity
  8. degree — temperature
  9. rock — a stone
  10. degree — from a university
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rule — government
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. charge — a price
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stock — goods
  20. charge — in control
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. roll — a cake
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. rule — a law

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