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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: craft · file · kick · fan · track · rush · stock · ground

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — a song
  3. craft — boats
  4. file — a document
  5. track — to keep track
  6. kick — in football
  7. stock — goods
  8. file — a line of people
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ground — the earth
  13. craft — a skill
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. stock — shares
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. ground — a position
  18. file — a tool
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. ground — crushed
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. rush — hurry

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