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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: chip · vault · stock · date · wake · track · dip · nail

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. date — the fruit
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — a safe
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. chip — for betting
  14. wake — a trail
  15. track — a song
  16. dip — to sink
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. chip — to eat
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stock — shares
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. stock — goods

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