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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. charge — electricity
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. ground — crushed
  6. craft — boats
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bound — obliged
  10. craft — a skill
  11. dip — to sink
  12. ground — a position
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. charge — in control
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. charge — a price
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. stock — shares
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bound — tied together
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — a soup base

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