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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. stock — goods
  3. pop — soda
  4. swing — in golf
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. swing — music
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. sharp — clever
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. swing — to play on
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pound — a weight
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pop — music
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. stock — shares
  23. date — the fruit
  24. sharp — exactly

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