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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: stem · track · stock · ball · lie · fork · ruler · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. lie — to recline
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. ball — a great time
  6. stock — shares
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. track — a path
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fork — in a road
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. track — a song
  15. stock — goods
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. track — to keep track
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bound — obliged
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bound — certain

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