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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stock — shares
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — there
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. perch — the fish
  12. hand — help
  13. present — a gift
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stock — goods
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. hand — in cards
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bound — certain
  23. date — the fruit
  24. bound — obliged

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