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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bound — obliged
  13. rock — a stone
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. court — of law
  16. bound — certain
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stock — shares
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fan — to cool the air

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