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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pound — a weight
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pop — music
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. stock — goods
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. track — a song
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bank — for money
  13. pop — to visit
  14. track — a path
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pop — soda
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bank — for money
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. roll — a list
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bank — of a river

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