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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bound — tied together
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bound — certain
  6. stock — shares
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. game — wild animals
  11. stock — goods
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a cake
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. lie — to recline
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. hand — help
  19. roll — a list
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bound — obliged
  22. game — a match
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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