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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — a cup
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. stock — goods
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. stock — shares
  14. cell — in biology
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mug — to rob
  20. lean — thin
  21. foot — a measure
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cell — a phone

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