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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. swing — to play on
  3. saw — the tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bound — certain
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. bound — tied together
  12. swing — music
  13. can — a tin
  14. bound — obliged
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stock — goods

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