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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stock · bound · racket · wind · pitcher · craft · date · toast

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bound — tied together
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. stock — shares
  5. craft — boats
  6. bound — certain
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. toast — bread
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. date — the fruit
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wind — moving air
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stock — goods
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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