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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pit · coach · bank · cell · track · safe · spell

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bank — of a river
  3. spell — letters
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. cell — a phone
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pit — in a race
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bank — for money
  12. track — a path
  13. stock — goods
  14. pit — a hole
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bank — for money
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — magic
  21. stock — shares
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. track — a song
  24. safe — a strongbox

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