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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 116 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: pass · pound · cold · stock · ground · face · track · stand

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — to point toward
  6. cold — an illness
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. track — a song
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. ground — the earth
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pound — a weight
  17. cold — not warm
  18. track — a path
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. stock — shares
  21. ground — a position
  22. stand — to bear
  23. ground — crushed
  24. track — to keep track

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