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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. sharp — clever
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. row — to paddle
  5. rock — music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pop — to visit
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. row — a line
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. mate — a friend
  19. rock — a stone
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. stock — shares
  24. sharp — exactly

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