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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stock — shares
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pitch — completely
  17. sharp — clever
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a face

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