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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  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. sharp — with an edge
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. content — happy
  6. track — a path
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stock — shares
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bear — the animal
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pop — music
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. stock — goods
  23. content — the amount
  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