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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. kick — in football
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. lean — thin
  9. stock — goods
  10. row — to paddle
  11. court — of law
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. content — happy
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. row — a line
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. lean — to bend
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. dip — to sink
  24. lean — to rest against

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