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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. stock — shares
  3. bound — certain
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bound — tied together
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. squash — to crush
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bound — obliged
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. wound — an injury

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