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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. lean — thin
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. net — in sport
  6. stock — goods
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bank — for money
  9. stock — shares
  10. rock — a stone
  11. present — the time now
  12. net — for catching
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. net — after costs
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. present — there
  23. bank — for money
  24. present — a gift

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