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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 · wound · stock · rock · chip · field · pass · stem

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. field — for sport
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pass — a permit
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. field — farmland
  15. stock — shares
  16. track — a path
  17. stock — goods
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. rock — music
  21. field — a subject
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. track — a song
  24. rock — a stone

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