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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. stock — goods
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. tube — a container
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stock — shares
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. tube — the underground
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. charge — in control
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. charge — a price
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. rock — music
  20. sharp — clever
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. charge — electricity

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