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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: bound · stock · suit · straw · tube · object · pound · fall

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. object — to protest
  5. suit — in cards
  6. object — a thing
  7. tube — a container
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bound — tied together
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. stock — shares
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pound — a weight
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stock — goods
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bound — certain
  23. object — an aim
  24. bound — obliged

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