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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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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: nail · stock · wake · bound · suit · pound · date · kid

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bound — tied together
  6. suit — to fit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bound — obliged
  9. suit — in cards
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bound — certain
  14. suit — clothes
  15. kid — child
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pound — a weight
  21. date — the fruit
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pound — for dogs

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