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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stock — goods
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. row — to paddle
  6. mark — a trace
  7. vault — a safe
  8. stock — shares
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pound — a weight
  21. row — a line
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. stock — a soup base

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