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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 120 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rush — hurry
  7. tube — a container
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bound — obliged
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. scale — in music
  12. tube — the underground
  13. scale — size or range
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bass — low music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bass — the fish
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. scale — for weighing

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