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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 120 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: stock · key · track · object · bound · scale · rash · fall

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bound — certain
  3. scale — size or range
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. rash — a series
  6. bound — obliged
  7. track — a path
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. object — an aim
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. rash — hasty
  14. key — in music
  15. fall — to drop
  16. key — the most important part
  17. stock — goods
  18. bound — tied together
  19. track — to keep track
  20. scale — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. object — to protest
  23. stock — shares
  24. object — a thing

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