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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stock — goods
  3. charge — electricity
  4. march — the month
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. march — music
  9. spring — of water
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. spring — a coil
  15. march — the month
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — a price
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. stock — shares
  20. chip — for betting
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. spring — the season
  24. chip — in a computer

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