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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. hand — help
  3. swing — music
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bound — tied together
  8. row — to paddle
  9. swing — to play on
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. swing — in golf
  12. stand — to bear
  13. band — a ring
  14. row — a line
  15. bound — certain
  16. toast — bread
  17. band — a music group
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bound — obliged
  20. stock — shares
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — in cards
  23. stock — goods
  24. stand — on your feet

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