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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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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: mouse · cabinet · track · snap · bound · stock · fine · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stock — goods
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fine — all right
  8. track — a song
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. stock — shares
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. snap — to click
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — tied together
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. track — a path

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