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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. sharp — clever
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — the sport
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. stock — goods
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. current — happening now
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. current — of water
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. current — electric
  24. spell — magic

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