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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 120 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mug — a cup
  3. stock — goods
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mug — a face
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. game — a match
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. game — wild animals
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. stock — shares
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. capital — money
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. capital — a city
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mug — to rob

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