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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rule — government
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rule — a law
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. stock — shares
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pound — a weight
  12. lean — thin
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. pit — a hole
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stock — goods
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. suit — in cards
  21. lean — to bend
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pit — in a race
  24. lean — to rest against

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