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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 · track · race · stand · wave · bank · ground · bark

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bank — for money
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. ground — the earth
  10. stock — shares
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bark — to shout
  13. track — a song
  14. track — a path
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — the arms race
  17. track — to keep track
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bank — of a river
  20. stock — goods
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. ground — crushed
  23. race — a contest
  24. bank — for money

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