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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: fine · bound · bank · prune · present · vault · kid · stock

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. stock — shares
  3. kid — to tease
  4. vault — a safe
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bank — of a river
  14. stock — goods
  15. fine — high quality
  16. present — the time now
  17. bank — for money
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. fine — all right
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bank — for money
  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