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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rash — a series
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bound — obliged
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. object — a thing
  9. stand — to bear
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stock — shares
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. key — in music
  15. object — to protest
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. object — an aim
  20. stock — goods
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pound — a weight

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