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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 116 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — certain
  4. stock — goods
  5. can — a tin
  6. tube — a container
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bass — low music
  9. can — to be able to
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bass — the fish
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. wound — an injury
  22. can — a tin
  23. stock — shares
  24. wound — an injury

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