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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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Word bank
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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: jam · land · sharp · stock · mark · rash · firm · mug

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. firm — steady
  4. land — a country
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mug — a cup
  7. stock — goods
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mug — a face
  12. stock — shares
  13. land — to come down
  14. firm — a company
  15. sharp — clever
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. rash — a series
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rash — hasty
  23. land — ground
  24. firm — decided

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