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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 116 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. can — a tin
  3. club — a group
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. club — for dancing
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. capital — money
  10. ball — a dance
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stock — goods
  15. mark — a trace
  16. capital — a city
  17. bound — certain
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. stock — shares
  20. ball — a great time
  21. club — for golf
  22. band — a ring
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — tied together

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