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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: date · stock · bound · mark · bear · ball · wake · coach

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. stock — goods
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mark — a trace
  17. stock — shares
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. date — the fruit
  21. mark — a grade
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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