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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 124 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 shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bear — the animal
  3. squash — the sport
  4. stock — goods
  5. net — for catching
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. net — in sport
  8. sharp — clever
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. can — a tin
  15. fine — all right
  16. net — after costs
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. stock — shares
  19. squash — to crush
  20. can — to be able to
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. can — a tin
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. fine — a penalty

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