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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bound — tied together
  3. content — the amount
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. kick — in football
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. deal — to handle
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. mark — a trace
  13. stock — goods
  14. content — happy
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bound — obliged
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bound — certain

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