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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. wound — an injury
  3. suit — to fit
  4. object — an aim
  5. suit — in cards
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. stock — shares
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pitch — completely
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. stock — goods
  22. object — a thing
  23. wound — an injury
  24. object — to protest

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