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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: wax · bound · bowl · bay · mine · key · chip · stock

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. key — in music
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. stock — shares
  13. chip — for betting
  14. stock — goods
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bound — tied together
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bound — obliged
  24. mine — belonging to me

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