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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 116 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bound — tied together
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bass — the fish
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. track — to keep track
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bound — obliged
  13. kick — in football
  14. net — in sport
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. bound — certain
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. stock — shares
  24. bowl — a football final

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