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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 116 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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. race — a contest
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stock — goods
  7. swing — music
  8. race — humankind
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. stand — to bear
  11. fork — in a road
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stock — shares
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. swing — in golf
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. swing — to play on
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. race — the arms race
  23. sharp — clever
  24. stock — a soup base

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