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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stand — to bear
  5. shower — rain
  6. mark — a trace
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. bound — certain
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stock — goods
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. jam — in traffic

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