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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. firm — decided
  3. bound — tied together
  4. last — finally
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — a company
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bound — certain
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bound — obliged
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. last — to go on
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. last — final
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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