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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 · mine · mug · swing · stock · root · pitch · object

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. track — a song
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mug — a face
  7. swing — to play on
  8. track — a path
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stock — shares
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a word
  14. object — to protest
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. stock — goods
  17. swing — music
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. mine — for digging
  21. root — of a plant
  22. swing — in golf
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

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