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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. stock — shares
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. sharp — clever
  8. race — humankind
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. stock — goods
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. race — the arms race
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. race — a contest
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. spring — of water
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. coach — a trainer

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