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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. cell — a phone
  6. stock — shares
  7. lean — thin
  8. chip — for betting
  9. season — in sport
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. season — of the year
  14. fork — in a road
  15. stock — goods
  16. pitch — completely
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. cell — in biology

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