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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stock — shares
  4. drill — the tool
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lean — thin
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. lean — to bend
  13. chip — for betting
  14. capital — money
  15. drill — army training
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. stock — goods
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. capital — a city

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