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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pit — in a race
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pit — a hole
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. sharp — clever
  15. object — to protest
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. ball — a great time
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — an aim
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. ball — a dance
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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