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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bass — the fish
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. stock — shares
  5. bass — low music
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. stock — goods
  13. squash — the sport
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. perch — the fish
  17. toast — bread
  18. squash — to crush
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. squash — the vegetable

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