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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: bulb · stock · drill · stem · cue · bound · board · wound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. stock — goods
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. board — a committee
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bound — certain
  9. drill — army training
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stem — to come from
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. wound — an injury
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cue — for pool
  18. board — to get on
  19. stock — shares
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — the tool
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bound — tied together

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