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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: arm · track · jam · spell · stock · ball · roll · mark

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. spell — magic
  4. track — a path
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. track — to keep track
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. track — a song
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. spell — a short time
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — a cake
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. mark — a trace

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