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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. stock — shares
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. stock — goods
  7. kick — in football
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mark — a trace
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. band — a music group
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — completely
  16. band — a ring
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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