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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. stock — goods
  6. fine — all right
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. roll — a cake
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. rule — a law
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. rock — music
  18. rule — government
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. roll — a list
  21. fine — high quality
  22. stock — shares
  23. sharp — clever
  24. rock — to move gently

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