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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bound — tied together
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pop — soda
  6. bound — certain
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. suit — clothes
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — goods
  12. pop — music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rock — music
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pop — to visit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bound — obliged
  19. suit — to fit
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stock — shares
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. suit — in cards

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