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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 · rash · ball · fan · track · drill · saw · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. drill — army training
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. track — to keep track
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rash — hasty
  8. drill — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. track — a path
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stock — shares
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. rash — a series
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. track — a song
  21. drill — a practice
  22. stock — goods
  23. bound — obliged
  24. saw — the tool

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