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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. stock — shares
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. can — a tin
  6. game — a match
  7. bound — tied together
  8. can — a tin
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. kid — to tease
  11. game — wild animals
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. can — to be able to
  14. stock — goods
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bound — certain
  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