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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 · track · mate · object · can · roll · rash · pop

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. stock — shares
  3. object — an aim
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pop — soda
  8. roll — a list
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. object — to protest
  12. rash — hasty
  13. can — to be able to
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. track — a path
  17. mate — a friend
  18. object — a thing
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. rash — a series
  22. track — to keep track
  23. mate — to breed
  24. track — a song

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