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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. club — for golf
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. firm — decided
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mate — a partner
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — steady
  17. club — a group
  18. stock — goods
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bound — certain

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