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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: degree · fall · stock · stick · board · bound · vault · suit

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bound — tied together
  4. suit — to fit
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bound — obliged
  7. stock — goods
  8. degree — an amount
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bound — certain
  11. suit — in cards
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. board — a committee
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. suit — clothes
  18. fall — the season
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. fall — to drop
  22. degree — temperature
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. board — to get on

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