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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 · track · snap · dip · stock · capital · bore · rock

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. track — a song
  4. stock — shares
  5. capital — a city
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. snap — to click
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rock — a stone
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bore — to drill
  17. dip — to sink
  18. track — to keep track
  19. capital — money
  20. stock — goods
  21. rock — music
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. stock — a soup base

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