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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bore — to tire
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fine — high quality
  10. lean — thin
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. stock — shares
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. stock — goods
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. fine — all right
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. scale — size or range
  24. arm — part of the body

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