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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. perch — the fish
  4. stock — goods
  5. pass — a permit
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. stock — shares
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. track — a path
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. sharp — clever
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. rash — a series

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