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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. firm — steady
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. club — a group
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. firm — a company
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stock — shares
  11. club — for dancing
  12. saw — the tool
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. firm — decided
  15. bound — tied together
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. club — for golf
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stock — goods
  21. bound — obliged
  22. saw — the tool
  23. perch — the fish
  24. racket — for tennis

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