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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. stock — goods
  3. scale — in music
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. firm — steady
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bound — tied together
  11. firm — a company
  12. kick — in football
  13. date — the fruit
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stock — shares
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. firm — decided
  24. mouse — for a computer

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