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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bound — tied together
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. stock — goods
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. last — final
  10. craft — boats
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bound — certain
  17. cue — for pool
  18. last — to go on
  19. bore — to tire
  20. cue — a signal
  21. last — finally
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. cue — a hint

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