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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. file — a tool
  3. bound — obliged
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. pop — music
  7. bound — tied together
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a plant
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bound — certain
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. kick — in football
  14. stock — goods
  15. file — a document
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. pop — to visit
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. file — a line of people
  21. stand — to bear
  22. root — of a word
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. arm — part of the body

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