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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. stock — shares
  4. lean — to bend
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. lean — thin
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pop — soda
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. wake — a trail
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pop — music
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. stock — goods

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