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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 · club · staff · vault · mark · bound · pound · wake

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. club — for golf
  4. vault — a safe
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. staff — employees
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bound — tied together
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wake — a trail
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — shares
  17. pound — a weight
  18. club — for dancing
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mark — a trace
  21. club — a group
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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