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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. stock — goods
  3. mate — a friend
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bat — the animal
  9. cue — a signal
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bound — obliged
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bound — tied together
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mate — to breed
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stock — shares
  24. cue — a hint

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