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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 · cue · fork · bound · stock · track · board · tear

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. board — a committee
  6. tear — from crying
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. cue — for pool
  9. track — a path
  10. tear — to rip
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bound — certain
  13. stock — shares
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bound — obliged
  18. board — to get on
  19. bound — tied together
  20. track — a song
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. track — to keep track
  24. date — on the calendar

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