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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. rash — a series
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pop — soda
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pop — music
  22. stock — goods
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. pop — to visit

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