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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mate — to breed
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. mate — a friend
  5. drill — the tool
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stock — shares
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitch — completely
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. drill — a practice
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. drill — army training
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. mate — a partner
  21. lean — to bend
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stock — goods

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