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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. stock — shares
  3. pit — in a race
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bass — low music
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. charge — a price
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bound — tied together
  12. charge — in control
  13. pop — music
  14. pit — a hole
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. charge — electricity
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stock — goods
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pop — soda
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bound — certain
  24. pop — to visit

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