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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: bound · track · bank · plane · lean · board · stock · pop

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. track — a song
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bank — for money
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bound — certain
  8. bank — for money
  9. pop — soda
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. bound — tied together
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. board — to get on
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bank — of a river
  17. plane — a tool
  18. track — a path
  19. lean — to bend
  20. track — to keep track
  21. lean — thin
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. pop — music

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