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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. squash — to crush
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stock — shares
  5. plane — a tool
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. row — a line
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. roll — a cake
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. roll — a list
  17. stock — goods
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cap — a hat
  20. row — to paddle
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — certain

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