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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. firm — a company
  4. stock — goods
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. court — of law
  8. can — a tin
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bound — obliged
  11. season — in sport
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. firm — steady
  14. track — to keep track
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. court — for sport
  18. track — a path
  19. stock — shares
  20. bound — tied together
  21. season — of the year
  22. firm — decided
  23. track — a song
  24. court — of a king

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