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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: stand · tube · root · foot · object · stock · key · bound

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. stand — to bear
  3. key — the most important part
  4. object — an aim
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. key — for a lock
  7. foot — a measure
  8. tube — the underground
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. root — the cause
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. root — of a word
  15. stock — shares
  16. bound — certain
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. object — a thing
  19. bound — tied together
  20. key — in music
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. root — of a plant
  23. tube — a container
  24. stock — goods

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