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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: racket · track · cabinet · cap · stock · bound · nail · game

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bound — tied together
  4. stock — goods
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cap — a lid
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. track — to keep track
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. track — a song
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. game — a match
  20. track — a path
  21. bound — obliged
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stock — shares
  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