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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bound — obliged
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. stock — shares
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bound — tied together
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. capital — a city
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. stock — goods
  20. capital — money
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. capital — a big letter

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