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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. court — of a king
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. stock — shares
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. court — of law
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lie — to recline
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. court — for sport
  14. lean — to bend
  15. field — a subject
  16. lean — thin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. field — farmland
  23. stock — goods
  24. field — for sport

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