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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. march — the month
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rash — a series
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stock — shares
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fall — the season
  17. march — music
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. rash — hasty
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stock — goods
  22. fall — to drop
  23. march — the month
  24. fall — to drop

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