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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pound — a weight
  5. toast — bread
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. chip — to eat
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — completely
  13. court — of a king
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. court — for sport
  16. chip — for betting
  17. stock — goods
  18. court — of law
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. pound — to hit hard

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