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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bound — tied together
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bound — certain
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. rock — a stone
  14. stock — goods
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rock — music
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. current — of water
  22. tube — a container
  23. stock — shares
  24. tube — the underground

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