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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: press · branch · track · stock · ball · tube · lie · bound

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. ball — a dance
  3. track — a path
  4. bound — obliged
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. track — to keep track
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bound — tied together
  12. lie — to recline
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. track — a song
  16. bound — certain
  17. stock — goods
  18. tube — a container
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. press — a publisher
  21. stock — shares
  22. branch — a division
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. ball — a great time

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