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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: club · stick · present · tube · stock · bound · mark · net

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bound — tied together
  3. present — there
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. club — for dancing
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. stock — goods
  12. club — for golf
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stock — shares
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bound — obliged
  18. present — a gift
  19. bound — certain
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. tube — the underground
  22. club — a group
  23. tube — a container
  24. stock — a soup base

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