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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: file · stock · squash · temple · pound · content · wake · track

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. content — the amount
  3. track — a path
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. content — happy
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. file — a line of people
  9. wake — a trail
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pound — a weight
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. squash — the sport
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. track — a song
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a tool
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — shares
  24. content — videos and posts

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