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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 knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  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. sharp — with an edge
  2. stock — shares
  3. pop — soda
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. object — an aim
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pop — music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. object — to protest
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pop — to visit
  13. object — a thing
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. stock — goods
  18. spell — letters
  19. mate — a friend
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. spell — magic
  23. sharp — clever
  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