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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: stock · coach · date · safe · wound · stand · bound · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. stock — shares
  5. stand — to bear
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bound — certain
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bound — tied together
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stock — goods
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bound — obliged
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. key — for a lock
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. key — in music
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wound — an injury

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