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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. squash — to crush
  4. press — to push
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bound — certain
  7. firm — a company
  8. squash — the sport
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bound — obliged
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. ball — a great time
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. press — a publisher
  17. tube — the underground
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. firm — steady
  22. press — newspapers
  23. ball — a dance
  24. firm — decided

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