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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: bound · track · pop · jam · toast · chest · net · stand

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. pop — soda
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. track — a song
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bound — obliged
  10. net — for catching
  11. bound — certain
  12. net — in sport
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pop — music
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. toast — bread
  19. pop — to visit
  20. stand — to bear
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bound — tied together
  24. net — after costs

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