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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. stock — shares
  3. dip — to sink
  4. can — a tin
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. can — a tin
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — tied together
  18. plane — a tool
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. stock — goods
  22. can — to be able to
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. swing — music

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