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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 116 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. march — music
  4. ground — crushed
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. suit — clothes
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — the underground
  14. march — the month
  15. stock — goods
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bound — obliged
  19. ground — a position
  20. march — the month
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. ground — the earth
  23. stock — shares
  24. coach — a trainer

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