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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 116 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: stock · bound · pitcher · rule · wound · coach · key · suit

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rule — a law
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bound — tied together
  10. suit — clothes
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. wound — an injury
  13. key — in music
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rule — government
  16. stock — goods
  17. suit — to fit
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. key — for a lock
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bound — certain

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