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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: pop · stock · charge · sharp · arm · toast · drill · kid

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. kid — child
  3. pop — soda
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. sharp — clever
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. toast — bread
  9. pop — music
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. charge — electricity
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. charge — a price
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. drill — a practice
  16. charge — in control
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. pop — to visit
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. kid — to tease

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