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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. cue — a hint
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. net — in sport
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cue — for pool
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. firm — a company
  12. net — for catching
  13. firm — decided
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pound — a weight
  16. suit — in cards
  17. cue — a signal
  18. stock — shares
  19. firm — steady
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. net — after costs
  23. wound — an injury
  24. sharp — with an edge

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