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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. file — a tool
  6. bound — certain
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. can — a tin
  9. spring — a coil
  10. can — a tin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bound — obliged
  16. stock — shares
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. file — a line of people
  21. suit — to fit
  22. rash — a series
  23. file — a document
  24. suit — clothes

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