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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. current — of water
  5. pitch — completely
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. prune — to trim
  8. land — to come down
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. current — electric
  12. stock — goods
  13. land — a country
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. lean — to bend
  18. current — happening now
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. land — ground
  21. lean — thin
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. safe — out of danger

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