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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. club — for dancing
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. sharp — clever
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. swing — to play on
  7. stock — goods
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. stock — shares
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. snap — to click
  20. swing — in golf
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. charge — in control
  23. swing — music
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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