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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. stock — shares
  3. rest — a break
  4. pitch — completely
  5. club — for dancing
  6. lean — thin
  7. club — a group
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. stock — goods
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bound — tied together
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bound — certain
  17. bat — the animal
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. club — for golf
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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