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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. tear — from crying
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. stock — shares
  7. vault — a safe
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bound — certain
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. tear — from crying
  18. drill — a practice
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. stock — goods
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. stem — to come from
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. tear — to rip

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