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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: stock · mate · fine · club · firm · track

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. track — a path
  3. mate — a partner
  4. firm — a company
  5. club — a group
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. stock — goods
  8. mate — to breed
  9. track — a song
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. firm — decided
  12. mate — a friend
  13. fine — high quality
  14. stock — shares
  15. fine — all right
  16. club — for golf
  17. track — to keep track
  18. firm — steady

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