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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: stock · racket · wave · track · lash · season · rock · mark

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. mark — a trace
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stock — goods
  16. mark — a grade
  17. season — of the year
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. track — a song
  20. stock — shares
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rock — music

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