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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. swing — music
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. stock — shares
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. game — wild animals
  10. swing — in golf
  11. foot — a measure
  12. rash — hasty
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. swing — to play on
  15. firm — a company
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. lean — thin
  18. game — a match
  19. rash — a series
  20. stock — goods
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — steady

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