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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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. season — of the year
  3. stock — goods
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. content — the amount
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. key — for a lock
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. key — the most important part
  14. suit — in cards
  15. key — in music
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stock — shares
  18. sharp — clever
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — to fit
  23. content — happy
  24. content — videos and posts

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