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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: land · fine · shower · bound · stand · toast · stock · sharp

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. land — a country
  4. stock — shares
  5. shower — to wash
  6. fine — all right
  7. land — ground
  8. fine — high quality
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bound — certain
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. toast — bread
  17. bound — tied together
  18. sharp — clever
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. shower — rain
  21. stand — to bear
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. stock — goods
  24. bound — obliged

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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