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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: mate · date · bound · stock · cell · bay · object · bank

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — a partner
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bound — obliged
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bound — certain
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bank — for money
  17. mate — to breed
  18. stock — shares
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. object — an aim
  21. bank — for money
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in biology
  24. stock — goods

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