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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: cell · pit · drill · track · club · racket · stock · bound

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. drill — the tool
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pit — in a race
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bound — tied together
  9. club — for golf
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pit — a hole
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bound — certain
  19. club — a group
  20. drill — army training
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. track — to keep track
  23. drill — a practice
  24. club — for dancing

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