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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. face — to confront
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stock — goods
  5. court — of law
  6. face — part of the head
  7. sharp — clever
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. can — a tin
  11. face — to point toward
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. chip — to eat
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. court — of a king
  20. snap — to click
  21. court — for sport
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. stock — shares

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