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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. charge — in control
  3. squash — the sport
  4. stock — shares
  5. bound — tied together
  6. charge — a price
  7. foot — a measure
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bound — certain
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. club — a group
  12. stock — goods
  13. squash — to crush
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. cold — an illness
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bound — obliged
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. club — for golf

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