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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: pound · tube · key · craft · bat · bass · bound · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bass — the fish
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. craft — a skill
  9. stock — goods
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — the underground
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bat — the animal
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bass — low music
  23. craft — boats
  24. pound — a weight

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