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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. stock — goods
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. craft — boats
  6. game — a match
  7. cap — a hat
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. root — of a plant
  10. game — wild animals
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cap — a lid
  15. root — the cause
  16. stock — shares
  17. root — of a word
  18. bound — certain
  19. rock — music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bound — tied together
  22. craft — a skill
  23. cap — of ice
  24. craft — a handicraft

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