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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fine — high quality
  3. lean — thin
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. stock — shares
  12. can — a tin
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bound — certain
  16. stock — goods
  17. charge — a price
  18. march — the month
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. march — music
  23. charge — in control
  24. march — the month

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