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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 120 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. rash — a series
  3. swing — music
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — goods
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. mate — a friend
  10. scale — in music
  11. charge — a price
  12. mate — a partner
  13. charge — in control
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bark — to shout
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. charge — electricity
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — to play on
  23. mate — to breed
  24. sharp — clever

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