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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: track · land · bound · pass · mouse · craft · stock · ruler

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. craft — boats
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. craft — a skill
  10. track — a path
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bound — obliged
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pass — a permit
  15. track — a song
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. stock — goods
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bound — certain
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. land — to come down
  23. stock — shares
  24. mouse — for a computer

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