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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — a group
  7. stock — goods
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. club — for golf
  10. stock — shares
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pass — a permit
  15. spell — letters
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. hand — help
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. spell — magic
  21. sharp — clever
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. spell — a short time

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