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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bound — certain
  4. drill — army training
  5. pop — music
  6. mug — a cup
  7. staff — employees
  8. row — a line
  9. stock — goods
  10. kid — to tease
  11. drill — a practice
  12. row — to paddle
  13. stock — shares
  14. pop — soda
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. staff — employees
  17. kid — child
  18. staff — a stick
  19. mug — a face
  20. drill — the tool
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bound — tied together
  24. mug — to rob

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