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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bound — tied together
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bore — to tire
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. spell — magic
  8. stock — goods
  9. spell — letters
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bank — for money
  12. bore — to drill
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bound — certain
  15. bank — for money
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a partner
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mate — a friend
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. stock — shares

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