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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. present — there
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pit — a hole
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stock — goods
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pit — in a race
  15. present — a gift
  16. wound — an injury
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. stock — shares
  24. present — the time now

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