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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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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: stock · sharp · pitcher · mark · ball · kid · pound · game

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mark — a grade
  4. sharp — clever
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — to tease
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. stock — shares
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. ball — a great time
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. kid — child
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a match
  23. ball — a dance
  24. sharp — with an edge

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