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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bound — obliged
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bound — tied together
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bound — certain
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. stock — shares
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. foot — a measure
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. hand — help
  23. mine — for digging
  24. stock — goods

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