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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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 — to bend
  2. pop — to visit
  3. track — a path
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bear — the animal
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pop — soda
  11. stock — shares
  12. cap — a hat
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bear — the animal
  16. track — a song
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. track — to keep track
  21. lean — thin
  22. pop — music
  23. cap — a lid
  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