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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pound — a weight
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stock — shares
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. board — a committee
  7. stock — goods
  8. object — a thing
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. object — to protest
  13. board — to get on
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. object — an aim
  16. mark — a trace
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — a hat

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