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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. lean — to bend
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mug — to rob
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. bound — obliged
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — a cup
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. sharp — with an edge

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