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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. game — a match
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. chest — of your body
  6. present — the time now
  7. stock — goods
  8. bulb — for light
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. present — a gift
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. pit — in a race
  13. present — there
  14. pit — a hole
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. lean — thin
  17. bulb — for light
  18. chest — of your body
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. chest — a box
  22. board — to get on
  23. stock — shares
  24. board — a committee

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