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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bound — certain
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. land — ground
  7. bound — obliged
  8. stock — shares
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. charge — a price
  11. track — to keep track
  12. charge — electricity
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pit — in a race
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. track — a path
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. land — a country
  21. track — a song
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. land — to come down
  24. charge — in control

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