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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: jam · stock · lash · foot · track · ground

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. foot — a measure
  6. stock — shares
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. track — a song
  15. ground — the earth
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. stock — goods
  18. 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