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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. club — for golf
  3. stock — goods
  4. wind — moving air
  5. lean — to bend
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. lean — thin
  12. wind — moving air
  13. key — the most important part
  14. club — for dancing
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. firm — steady
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stock — shares
  19. club — a group
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wind — to turn a key

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