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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. lean — thin
  6. key — the most important part
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. perch — the fish
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. row — a line
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. stock — shares
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. key — for a lock
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. squash — to crush
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. row — to paddle
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. squash — the sport

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