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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. stock — goods
  3. pop — to visit
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wind — moving air
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — a gift
  8. wind — moving air
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pit — in a race
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pit — a hole
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. sharp — clever
  21. stock — shares
  22. pop — music
  23. present — there
  24. deal — an agreement

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