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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: jam · coach · squash · track · chest · lash · file · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. track — a song
  5. chest — a box
  6. stock — goods
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. file — a tool
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. squash — to crush
  12. file — a document
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. file — a line of people
  18. chest — of your body
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — the sport
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. coach — a trainer

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