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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 knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. mug — a face
  3. stock — shares
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bulb — for light
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. last — finally
  9. bore — to tire
  10. scale — in music
  11. mug — to rob
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. sharp — clever
  17. last — to go on
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stock — goods
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bore — to drill
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. last — final
  24. snap — to click

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