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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 120 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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bound — obliged
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. spell — magic
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spell — letters
  9. bass — the fish
  10. spring — of water
  11. club — for dancing
  12. spring — the season
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. foot — a measure
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. stock — shares
  18. bass — low music
  19. bound — certain
  20. spell — a short time
  21. club — for golf
  22. bound — tied together
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. club — a group

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