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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. stock — goods
  3. object — a thing
  4. saw — the tool
  5. foot — a measure
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bound — certain
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bound — obliged
  15. saw — the tool
  16. object — an aim
  17. stock — shares
  18. bound — tied together
  19. object — to protest
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. wind — moving air
  24. march — music

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