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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 120 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 · rock · rash · current · pit · spring · stock · band

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rock — a stone
  3. spring — a coil
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. current — happening now
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. spring — the season
  10. track — a path
  11. pit — a hole
  12. current — of water
  13. stock — goods
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rock — music
  18. spring — of water
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. track — a song
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. current — electric
  24. rash — a series

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