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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. kid — to tease
  3. suit — in cards
  4. club — for golf
  5. kid — child
  6. lean — thin
  7. board — to get on
  8. charge — in control
  9. lean — to bend
  10. net — after costs
  11. board — a committee
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. net — for catching
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. net — in sport
  17. charge — electricity
  18. suit — to fit
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stock — shares
  22. charge — a price
  23. club — a group
  24. suit — clothes

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