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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. stock — shares
  3. bound — tied together
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. toast — bread
  9. pop — to visit
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pop — music
  14. bound — certain
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wake — a trail
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. board — to get on
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. board — a committee
  24. bound — obliged

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