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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. sharp — clever
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. current — electric
  6. pound — a weight
  7. fall — the season
  8. kid — child
  9. stock — shares
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. fall — to drop
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stock — goods
  19. current — happening now
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. current — of water
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. racket — for tennis

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