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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. ground — crushed
  5. chip — to eat
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. chip — for betting
  11. ground — the earth
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. lean — thin
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. can — a tin
  22. ground — a position
  23. can — a tin
  24. lean — to rest against

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