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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 116 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. present — a gift
  7. shower — to wash
  8. present — there
  9. court — of a king
  10. bound — certain
  11. race — a contest
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. court — for sport
  15. stock — shares
  16. shower — rain
  17. present — the time now
  18. stock — goods
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  24. court — of law

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