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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. stock — shares
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bound — tied together
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. rock — a stone
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — in music
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bound — obliged
  16. hand — help
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. scale — size or range
  20. hand — in cards
  21. rock — music
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. roll — a cake

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