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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. mate — to breed
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. mate — a partner
  8. stock — goods
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stock — shares
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. spring — the season
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. mate — a friend
  19. stand — to bear
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. lean — thin
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — a coil

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