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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bound — obliged
  3. object — an aim
  4. squash — to crush
  5. stock — shares
  6. rash — a series
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bound — certain
  10. object — a thing
  11. net — in sport
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. net — after costs
  15. key — in music
  16. rash — hasty
  17. lie — to recline
  18. key — the most important part
  19. object — to protest
  20. squash — the sport
  21. stock — goods
  22. key — for a lock
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bound — tied together

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