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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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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 · vault · wax · stick · fan · board · bound · track

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. track — a song
  3. wax — to grow
  4. board — to get on
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. board — a committee
  15. bound — certain
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bound — tied together
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. bound — obliged
  23. stock — a soup base
  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