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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. fine — all right
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bound — obliged
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mug — a face
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mug — a cup
  15. stock — shares
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. cue — a signal
  19. court — of law
  20. fine — high quality
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bound — certain
  23. mark — a grade
  24. fine — a penalty

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