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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · leaves · deal · mark · stock · spring · swing · row

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. stock — goods
  5. deal — to handle
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — music
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. foot — a measure
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. stock — shares
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. spring — the season
  21. swing — to play on
  22. row — to paddle
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. row — a line

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