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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pound — a weight
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. chip — for betting
  6. object — to protest
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. lean — to bend
  10. object — a thing
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. lean — thin
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. mark — a grade
  16. stock — goods
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. tube — a container
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. object — an aim
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. mark — a trace
  23. chip — to eat
  24. mark — to pay attention

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