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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. game — wild animals
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. net — in sport
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stock — goods
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. game — a match
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bulb — for light
  13. net — for catching
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. net — after costs
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rash — a series
  21. object — to protest
  22. kick — in football
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rash — hasty

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