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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 120 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. can — a tin
  3. race — a contest
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pop — music
  9. bound — obliged
  10. club — a group
  11. race — humankind
  12. club — for golf
  13. bound — certain
  14. pop — to visit
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pop — soda
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. lean — thin
  19. suit — to fit
  20. lean — to bend
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — shares

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