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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. last — finally
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mate — to breed
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. mate — a partner
  9. pitch — completely
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rest — a break
  13. last — to go on
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. last — final
  22. rest — what's left
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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