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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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. stock — goods
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mug — a cup
  10. lean — thin
  11. field — a subject
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. field — for sport
  14. mug — to rob
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. field — farmland
  19. charge — a price
  20. mug — a face
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. charge — in control
  23. lean — to bend
  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