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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 120 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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. sharp — clever
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. drill — army training
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. squash — the sport
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bound — obliged
  14. squash — to crush
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. drill — a practice
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bound — certain
  23. stock — goods
  24. bound — tied together

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