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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. stock — goods
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. stock — shares
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mine — for digging
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pitch — completely
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. sharp — clever
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cue — a hint

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