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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. stock — shares
  5. mug — to rob
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stock — goods
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mug — a face
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pass — a permit
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stock — a soup base

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