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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 116 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: hand · can · track · bound · cue · fine · face · stock

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. hand — in cards
  3. face — to confront
  4. track — to keep track
  5. face — to point toward
  6. can — a tin
  7. bound — tied together
  8. track — a song
  9. can — a tin
  10. hand — help
  11. cue — a signal
  12. fine — high quality
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cue — for pool
  17. fine — all right
  18. bound — certain
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stock — shares
  23. track — a path
  24. face — part of the head

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