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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. spring — the season
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. spring — of water
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. spring — a coil
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fork — in a road
  12. stock — goods
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bound — certain
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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