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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bound — tied together
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bound — obliged
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pit — in a race
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. content — happy
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bound — certain
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. pit — a hole
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. content — the amount
  24. stock — shares

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