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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 · ground · object · wave · pass · land · track · game

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. ground — crushed
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. object — to protest
  6. game — a match
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. track — a song
  10. track — to keep track
  11. stock — shares
  12. land — to come down
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. stock — goods
  16. pass — a permit
  17. land — a country
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. land — ground
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. game — wild animals
  24. ground — a position

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