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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. march — the month
  13. chip — for betting
  14. stand — to bear
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. chip — to eat
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. stock — shares
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — a container

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