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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stand — to bear
  3. foot — a measure
  4. stock — goods
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — to play on
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. board — to get on
  9. can — a tin
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. board — a committee
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stock — shares
  18. row — a line
  19. row — to paddle
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. prune — to trim
  24. swing — music

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