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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 120 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. key — for a lock
  7. sharp — clever
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pass — a permit
  11. can — a tin
  12. stock — goods
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. mine — for digging
  17. can — a tin
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. plane — a tool
  20. can — to be able to
  21. key — in music
  22. stock — shares
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. arm — part of the body

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