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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: game · scale · stock · jam · pitch · object · lean · toast

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pitch — completely
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. game — wild animals
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. game — a match
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. toast — bread
  23. lean — thin
  24. scale — for weighing

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