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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stock — shares
  3. squash — the sport
  4. stock — goods
  5. squash — to crush
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. field — for sport
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. field — a subject
  14. degree — temperature
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bound — tied together
  17. degree — from a university
  18. field — farmland
  19. degree — an amount
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bound — certain
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bound — obliged

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