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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. craft — boats
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. stock — goods
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bass — the fish
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bound — obliged
  13. court — for sport
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. court — of law
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bass — low music
  18. court — of a king
  19. bound — certain
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. craft — a skill
  23. stock — shares
  24. temple — a place of worship

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