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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bank — for money
  4. mine — for digging
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rock — a stone
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bank — for money
  11. rash — a series
  12. scale — in music
  13. rock — music
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stock — shares
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bank — of a river
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. stock — goods
  22. sharp — clever
  23. scale — size or range
  24. rest — a break

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