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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: bat · key · stem · arm · stock · firm · track · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — shares
  4. firm — steady
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bound — certain
  8. key — the most important part
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bat — the animal
  11. key — in music
  12. firm — a company
  13. track — to keep track
  14. stock — goods
  15. key — for a lock
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. track — a path
  18. firm — decided
  19. track — a song
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bound — obliged
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bat — in an idiom

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