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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. row — a line
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. row — to paddle
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. game — wild animals
  8. stand — to bear
  9. lean — thin
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. present — there
  12. bass — the fish
  13. present — the time now
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. chip — to eat
  17. game — a match
  18. bass — low music
  19. present — a gift
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. chip — for betting
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chip — in a computer

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