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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bound — certain
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. last — finally
  7. last — final
  8. bound — obliged
  9. stock — goods
  10. last — to go on
  11. cue — a signal
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. net — after costs
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. net — in sport
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stock — shares
  24. net — for catching

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