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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 116 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: stick · bound · stock · sharp · land · can · pit · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. land — to come down
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. land — ground
  7. ground — the earth
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pit — in a race
  10. land — a country
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stock — shares
  13. ground — crushed
  14. can — to be able to
  15. pit — a hole
  16. can — a tin
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stock — goods
  19. bound — tied together
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. can — a tin

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