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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: suit · spring · bound · wave · stock · pit · cue · bore

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bound — obliged
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bound — tied together
  6. spring — the season
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stock — shares
  10. pit — in a race
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bound — certain
  17. stock — goods
  18. cue — a hint
  19. spring — of water
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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