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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're almost out of ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bound — certain
  5. pop — to visit
  6. club — a group
  7. game — wild animals
  8. scale — size or range
  9. spell — a short time
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pop — music
  14. scale — in music
  15. club — for dancing
  16. stock — goods
  17. spell — magic
  18. club — for golf
  19. spell — letters
  20. bound — tied together
  21. game — a match
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bound — obliged
  24. stock — shares

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