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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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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: content · pit · hand · present · bound · saw · ball · stock

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — goods
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. stock — shares
  7. ball — a great time
  8. present — a gift
  9. content — the amount
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. present — there
  14. pit — in a race
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pit — a hole
  17. content — happy
  18. hand — in cards
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. saw — the tool
  21. present — the time now
  22. bound — certain
  23. ball — a dance
  24. hand — help

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