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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. stock — goods
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. stock — shares
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. squash — to crush
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pop — music
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. squash — the sport
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. mark — to pay attention

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