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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rest — a break
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rest — what's left
  7. sharp — clever
  8. kick — in football
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ball — a great time
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. race — humankind
  14. ball — a dance
  15. stock — shares
  16. race — the arms race
  17. fine — all right
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. staff — employees
  20. stock — goods
  21. race — a contest
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. fine — high quality

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