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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mug — to rob
  6. wax — to grow
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pit — a hole
  11. cue — a signal
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mug — a face
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mug — a cup
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bound — certain
  22. present — the time now
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — shares

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