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

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. season — of the year
  3. stock — goods
  4. lean — to bend
  5. cold — not warm
  6. swing — music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. deal — to handle
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. swing — to play on
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. firm — a company
  16. season — in sport
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. swing — in golf
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. cold — an illness
  21. stock — shares
  22. lean — thin
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. season — to add flavour

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