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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: stock · saw · bulb · safe · straw · bound · race · track

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bound — tied together
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. race — a contest
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. track — a path
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. race — the arms race
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bound — certain
  16. saw — the tool
  17. track — to keep track
  18. stock — shares
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. race — humankind
  23. stock — goods
  24. track — a song

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