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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. field — a subject
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cue — a signal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cue — for pool
  8. field — for sport
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stock — goods
  13. field — farmland
  14. rush — hurry
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stock — shares
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cue — a hint

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