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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rock — a stone
  3. can — to be able to
  4. spring — a coil
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bound — certain
  7. spring — the season
  8. pitch — completely
  9. court — of a king
  10. bound — obliged
  11. spring — of water
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. court — of law
  14. stock — shares
  15. court — for sport
  16. present — the time now
  17. stock — goods
  18. present — a gift
  19. bound — tied together
  20. rock — music
  21. present — there
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. can — a tin
  24. rock — to move gently

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