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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. can — a tin
  7. bound — tied together
  8. craft — boats
  9. key — in music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. key — for a lock
  12. stock — goods
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bound — certain
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. can — a tin
  18. band — a ring
  19. craft — a skill
  20. band — a music group
  21. key — the most important part
  22. stock — shares
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. craft — a handicraft

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