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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. stand — to bear
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. stock — goods
  5. mug — a face
  6. stock — shares
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. roll — a cake
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — to rob
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bound — tied together
  14. branch — a division
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. content — happy
  20. roll — a list
  21. row — a line
  22. content — the amount
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. content — videos and posts

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