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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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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 · mark · race · bound · lean · trunk · prune · stock

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. race — humankind
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. race — a contest
  6. stock — shares
  7. lean — to bend
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. lean — thin
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stock — goods
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. race — the arms race
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bound — certain
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — a grade
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. prune — to trim

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