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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bound — certain
  8. file — a tool
  9. stock — shares
  10. file — a document
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. key — in music
  13. stock — goods
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. game — wild animals
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — the most important part
  22. game — a match
  23. rush — hurry
  24. game — a kind of play

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