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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: snap · rule · firm · jam · stock · pitcher · bound · track

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. track — a path
  3. rule — a law
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. firm — steady
  7. rule — government
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. stock — shares
  11. track — a song
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — obliged
  18. firm — a company
  19. bound — certain
  20. firm — decided
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. snap — to click
  24. pitcher — a jug

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