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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · lean · sharp · trunk · game · rock · cap · jam

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. rock — a stone
  3. lean — thin
  4. game — wild animals
  5. cap — of ice
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. lean — to bend
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. cap — a lid
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. game — a match
  14. stock — shares
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rock — music
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. stock — goods
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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