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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. lean — to bend
  3. club — for dancing
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. content — happy
  8. club — a group
  9. content — the amount
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. club — for golf
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. lean — thin
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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