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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stock — shares
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rash — hasty
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. sharp — clever
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. chip — for betting
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chip — to eat
  18. rash — a series
  19. stand — to bear
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — boats
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. stock — goods

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