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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: stock · ruler · pit · bound · racket · roll

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stock — goods
  7. roll — a list
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — certain
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stock — shares
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pit — a hole

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