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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — shares
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bear — the animal
  8. foot — a measure
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. club — a group
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. cap — a lid
  13. club — for dancing
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. stock — goods
  16. club — for golf
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bear — the animal
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rush — a thrill

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