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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. stock — goods
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. bound — obliged
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. roll — a list
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a city
  15. fine — all right
  16. pit — a hole
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pop — soda
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stock — shares
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bound — certain
  24. capital — a big letter

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