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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pop — music
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pop — soda
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. stock — goods
  11. shower — rain
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pop — to visit
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mark — a grade
  22. stock — shares
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. shower — to wash

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