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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 116 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. stock — shares
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. stock — goods
  5. land — ground
  6. pitch — completely
  7. club — for golf
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bound — tied together
  11. land — to come down
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bound — certain
  16. land — a country
  17. lean — thin
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bound — obliged
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. club — a group
  24. safe — out of danger

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