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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: track · stock · snap · bound · field · tube · band · patient

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — goods
  3. track — a path
  4. field — a subject
  5. stock — shares
  6. snap — to click
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. band — a ring
  10. tube — the underground
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bound — obliged
  13. field — for sport
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bound — tied together
  19. field — farmland
  20. track — a song
  21. band — a music group
  22. bound — certain
  23. track — to keep track
  24. tube — a container

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