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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: deal · object · wound · stock · lean · club · date · jam

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. object — to protest
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. object — an aim
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. club — for dancing
  11. lean — thin
  12. object — a thing
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. club — a group
  15. deal — to handle
  16. club — for golf
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stock — goods
  19. date — the fruit
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. lean — to bend
  24. stock — shares

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