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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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468
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: bat · ruler · stock · mate · mark · bound · cabinet · racket

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bat — the animal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bound — tied together
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. stock — goods
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bound — certain
  21. stock — shares
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stock — a soup base

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