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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pop — soda
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pop — music
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. cold — not warm
  8. march — music
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — certain
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. ball — a great time
  13. stock — shares
  14. ball — a dance
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. march — the month
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. cap — a lid
  20. pop — to visit
  21. cap — of ice
  22. march — the month
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cold — an illness

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