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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bound — certain
  4. stock — goods
  5. firm — steady
  6. bound — tied together
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. sharp — clever
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. firm — decided
  20. bound — obliged
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. firm — a company
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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