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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: bay · spring · staff · mark · track · stock · pit · squash

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. spring — a coil
  4. stock — shares
  5. track — to keep track
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pit — a hole
  8. staff — employees
  9. mark — a grade
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. stock — goods
  12. pit — in a race
  13. spring — the season
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. track — a song
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. staff — a stick
  19. spring — of water
  20. squash — to crush
  21. track — a path
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. squash — the sport
  24. staff — employees

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