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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bass — low music
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bass — the fish
  10. club — for dancing
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. stock — shares
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. club — for golf
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — in a road
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. club — a group
  22. sharp — clever
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. straw — a straw man

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