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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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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. march — the month
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. content — happy
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. content — the amount
  8. pop — soda
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. stock — goods
  13. pound — a weight
  14. march — the month
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bank — for money
  17. lean — to bend
  18. march — music
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bank — for money
  21. lean — thin
  22. fine — all right
  23. bank — of a river
  24. stock — shares

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