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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 120 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. stock — goods
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. sharp — clever
  5. capital — a city
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. firm — decided
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. fall — to drop
  11. firm — a company
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. wound — an injury
  14. capital — money
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stock — shares
  17. stand — to bear
  18. fall — the season
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. fall — to drop
  23. firm — steady
  24. wound — an injury

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