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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. lean — to bend
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. lean — thin
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rash — hasty
  7. stock — goods
  8. bass — low music
  9. stock — shares
  10. field — a subject
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bound — obliged
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — for sport
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bass — the fish
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — a series

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