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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. stock — shares
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. rock — music
  5. stock — goods
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rock — a stone
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. hand — in cards
  14. fork — in a road
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. hand — help
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. dip — to sink
  23. swing — to play on
  24. stock — a soup base

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