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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: track · fine · stock · rock · game · bark · rash · current

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stock — shares
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. track — to keep track
  6. stock — goods
  7. rash — a series
  8. current — of water
  9. bark — to shout
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. fine — all right
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rock — a stone
  14. track — a path
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. current — electric
  21. current — happening now
  22. rock — music
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. rash — hasty

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