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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stock — goods
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. stock — shares
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. content — happy
  12. track — a song
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rest — a break
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. craft — boats
  17. content — the amount
  18. track — a path
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. stand — to bear
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. kick — in football
  24. track — to keep track

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