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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bound — tied together
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bound — certain
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. kick — in football
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. content — the amount
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. content — happy
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stock — shares

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