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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: spring · prune · straw · bank · stock · bay · key · bound

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bank — of a river
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. stock — goods
  9. prune — to trim
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. stock — shares
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bank — for money
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. spring — of water
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bank — for money
  20. key — for a lock
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. straw — dry grass

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