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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · game · pop · stock · wake · suit · bound · craft

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pop — soda
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pop — to visit
  7. craft — a skill
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. craft — boats
  10. stock — goods
  11. suit — in cards
  12. stock — shares
  13. game — a match
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. face — to confront
  16. wake — a trail
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bound — certain
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. pop — music
  21. face — to point toward
  22. suit — clothes
  23. face — part of the head
  24. suit — to fit

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