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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bound — tied together
  9. stock — shares
  10. mug — a cup
  11. fine — high quality
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fine — all right
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bear — the animal
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stock — goods
  22. mine — for digging
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bound — certain

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