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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. degree — temperature
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fall — to drop
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bound — obliged
  10. fall — the season
  11. net — after costs
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fall — to drop
  14. degree — from a university
  15. net — for catching
  16. fork — in a road
  17. stock — goods
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bound — tied together
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bound — certain
  23. degree — an amount
  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