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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · land · stock · firm · toast · leaves · fan · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. pop — music
  7. land — a country
  8. track — a path
  9. land — ground
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. stock — goods
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. toast — bread
  17. firm — steady
  18. pop — to visit
  19. firm — a company
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. firm — decided
  23. stock — shares
  24. land — to come down

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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