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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. stock — goods
  6. lean — thin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. chip — to eat
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. net — for catching
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rock — a stone
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stock — shares
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — a thing
  19. rock — music
  20. chip — for betting
  21. lean — to bend
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. object — an aim
  24. chip — in a computer

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