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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bound — certain
  4. season — in sport
  5. stock — shares
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bore — to drill
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. capital — money
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. stock — goods
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. capital — a city
  16. season — of the year
  17. date — the fruit
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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