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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: squash · bound · racket · object · game · jam · deal · stock

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. object — an aim
  5. stock — goods
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bound — obliged
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bound — tied together
  10. squash — the sport
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. object — a thing
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. object — to protest
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. stock — shares
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. squash — to crush
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. game — a match

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