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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 116 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. ball — a dance
  6. stand — to bear
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. lean — thin
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. face — to point toward
  12. stock — shares
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. stock — goods
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. face — part of the head
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. ball — a great time
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. stock — a soup base

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