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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. board — a committee
  3. tube — a container
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. tube — the underground
  6. track — to keep track
  7. lean — to bend
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. track — a song
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. stock — shares
  14. mug — a face
  15. track — a path
  16. field — for sport
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. board — to get on
  19. field — farmland
  20. lean — thin
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. field — a subject
  24. stock — goods

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