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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 120 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 ________________ to happen.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fork — in a road
  6. net — for catching
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bound — tied together
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mug — a cup
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. net — in sport
  18. mug — a face
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. stock — goods
  22. bound — obliged
  23. net — after costs
  24. stock — shares

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