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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  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. bound — certain
  2. stock — shares
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bank — for money
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bound — obliged
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. ground — the earth
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. game — a match
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. ground — a position
  22. toast — bread
  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