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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stand — to bear
  7. swing — music
  8. squash — the sport
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. capital — a city
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. lean — thin
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. pound — a weight
  21. season — in sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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