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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 120 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: deal · mug · land · stock · wound · track · suit · mark

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. track — to keep track
  3. land — to come down
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — to handle
  6. suit — in cards
  7. mug — a face
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mark — a grade
  10. land — ground
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. mark — a trace
  14. stock — goods
  15. mug — a cup
  16. wound — an injury
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. suit — to fit
  21. mug — to rob
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. deal — a big deal

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