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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — all right
  3. mate — a friend
  4. can — a tin
  5. stock — goods
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mate — a partner
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. cell — a phone
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. can — to be able to
  16. stock — shares
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. can — a tin
  19. cell — in biology
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. mark — a grade
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. mate — to breed

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