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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. club — a group
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — thin
  5. stock — shares
  6. march — music
  7. craft — a skill
  8. march — the month
  9. foot — a measure
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. march — the month
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. club — for golf
  18. stock — goods
  19. craft — boats
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. rock — music
  23. club — for dancing
  24. wake — before a funeral

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