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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 116 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. cap — a hat
  4. root — of a word
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cap — a lid
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. root — of a plant
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. stock — goods
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bound — tied together
  22. root — the cause
  23. pound — a weight
  24. stock — shares

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