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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. date — the fruit
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. chip — for betting
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. sharp — clever
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. lean — thin
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — a weight
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. rock — music

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