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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 124 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. sharp — clever
  8. fine — all right
  9. race — the arms race
  10. perch — the fish
  11. lean — thin
  12. deal — to handle
  13. race — a contest
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. race — humankind
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. fine — high quality
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lean — to bend
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. sharp — exactly

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