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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. degree — an amount
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. stock — goods
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. drill — the tool
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stock — shares
  10. net — after costs
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. net — for catching
  13. drill — army training
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. net — in sport
  16. degree — temperature
  17. drill — a practice
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. degree — from a university
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. dip — to sink

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