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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. club — for dancing
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stock — goods
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mark — a grade
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. stock — shares
  18. sharp — clever
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. club — a group
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mug — a face
  23. club — for golf
  24. mug — a cup

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