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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. can — a tin
  3. row — a line
  4. row — to paddle
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. land — to come down
  7. can — a tin
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bound — certain
  10. stock — goods
  11. land — a country
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bound — tied together
  18. land — ground

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