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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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bound — obliged
  3. stock — shares
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bound — tied together
  8. capital — a city
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. object — an aim
  11. bound — certain
  12. object — to protest
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stock — goods
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. capital — money
  20. ball — a great time
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. object — a thing
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. stock — a soup base

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