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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rest — what's left
  3. tube — the underground
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. tube — a container
  6. pop — music
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. stock — goods
  11. pop — to visit
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. pop — soda
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pit — in a race
  21. kid — to tease
  22. stock — shares
  23. sharp — clever
  24. kid — child

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