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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: arm · pop · bound · pit · straw · track · stock · key

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. track — a path
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pop — music
  8. pit — a hole
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. stock — shares
  12. bound — tied together
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bound — certain
  15. key — in music
  16. stock — goods
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. track — a song
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. key — the most important part
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pit — in a race
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. track — to keep track

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