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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. staff — employees
  5. net — for catching
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bound — tied together
  10. stock — shares
  11. game — wild animals
  12. rush — hurry
  13. net — in sport
  14. staff — a stick
  15. net — after costs
  16. staff — employees
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bound — certain
  21. stock — goods
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bound — obliged

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