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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. staff — employees
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. march — the month
  6. stock — shares
  7. staff — employees
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. plane — a tool
  12. sharp — clever
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. march — the month
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rest — what's left
  21. staff — a stick
  22. toast — bread
  23. march — music
  24. wake — a trail

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