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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: stock · key · mine · bound · bark · sharp · snap · stand

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mine — for digging
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bound — tied together
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. key — in music
  11. bound — certain
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. snap — to click
  14. stand — to bear
  15. key — for a lock
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bark — to shout
  18. stock — goods
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bound — obliged
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stock — shares

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