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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: bound · shower · dip · stock · object · land · suit · race

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. land — a country
  3. shower — rain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. suit — to fit
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. stock — shares
  9. race — the arms race
  10. shower — to wash
  11. dip — to sink
  12. land — ground
  13. bound — tied together
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. suit — clothes
  17. land — to come down
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. race — humankind
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. suit — in cards
  22. object — to protest
  23. stock — goods
  24. race — a contest

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