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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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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: jam · spell · bore · stock · rule · branch · wake · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — goods
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. track — a path
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. branch — a division
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. rule — a law
  13. wake — a trail
  14. stock — shares
  15. spell — magic
  16. track — a song
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rule — government
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to tire
  21. spell — letters
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bore — to drill
  24. spell — a short time

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