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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 must've been a ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. stock — goods
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chair — a leader
  5. suit — in cards
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. hand — help
  10. stock — shares
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. suit — to fit
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bound — obliged
  19. dip — to sink
  20. rush — hurry
  21. hand — in cards
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bound — certain
  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