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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: track · bound · pound · safe · stock · key · row · ground

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stock — shares
  3. ground — the earth
  4. key — for a lock
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. track — a song
  7. ground — crushed
  8. stock — goods
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bound — certain
  11. track — a path
  12. bound — obliged
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. key — the most important part
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. row — a line
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. ground — a position
  24. safe — out of danger

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