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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. charge — electricity
  6. drill — a practice
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. drill — the tool
  11. stock — shares
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. craft — a skill
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stock — goods
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. craft — boats
  19. charge — a price
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. charge — in control
  23. sharp — clever
  24. drill — army training

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