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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. season — in sport
  3. lean — to bend
  4. board — a committee
  5. season — of the year
  6. stock — shares
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. foot — a measure
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bat — the animal
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stock — goods
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lean — thin
  22. board — to get on
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stock — a soup base

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