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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 120 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: land · sharp · stick · mug · stock · prune · can · bound

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bound — certain
  3. stock — shares
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. sharp — clever
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stock — goods
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. can — a tin
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. land — a country
  15. mug — a face
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. prune — to trim
  20. land — ground
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. prune — to trim
  24. can — a tin

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