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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: bound · leaves · stock · capital · track · root · ball · mine

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. root — the cause
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bound — tied together
  6. track — to keep track
  7. root — of a plant
  8. track — a song
  9. root — of a word
  10. bound — obliged
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bound — certain
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. track — a path
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. mine — for digging
  18. stock — shares
  19. capital — a city
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. stock — goods
  22. ball — a dance
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. mine — an explosive

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