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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: bound · season · lash · stock · mug · kid · track · toast

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bound — certain
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — to rob
  5. track — a path
  6. bound — obliged
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. stock — goods
  9. mug — a cup
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. toast — bread
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. track — to keep track
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. season — in sport
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — child
  19. track — a song
  20. bound — tied together
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. kid — to tease
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. season — of the year

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