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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pound — a weight
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. foot — a measure
  10. dip — to sink
  11. stock — goods
  12. season — in sport
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. season — of the year
  16. stock — shares
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. foot — part of the body
  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