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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: roll · leaves · bat · bound · rash · stock · cabinet · mark

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. stock — shares
  8. roll — a list
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mark — a grade
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bat — the animal
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — goods
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. roll — a cake
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bound — certain

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