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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. rock — music
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. can — a tin
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. can — to be able to
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. can — a tin
  16. stock — goods
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bound — obliged
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bound — certain
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. snap — to click
  24. stand — to bear

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