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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 120 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: mine · drill · lean · firm · stock · club · track · wound

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — steady
  5. track — a path
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. firm — decided
  10. stock — shares
  11. club — for dancing
  12. lean — thin
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. lean — to bend
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — the tool
  17. stock — goods
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. track — a song
  20. club — a group
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mine — for digging
  23. drill — a practice
  24. club — for golf

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