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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: stock · bore · court · bound · bear · stick · tube · chip

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. tube — a container
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stock — goods
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bear — the animal
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of law
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bear — the animal
  15. chip — for betting
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bound — certain
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bore — to tire
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — shares

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