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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pitch — completely
  4. land — a country
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. stock — shares
  8. bank — for money
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bank — of a river
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bank — for money
  18. stock — goods
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bound — obliged
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. land — ground
  23. land — to come down
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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