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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: stock · cabinet · rash · straw · plane · club · bay · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. stock — goods
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. track — to keep track
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. club — a group
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. track — a song
  19. club — for golf
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stock — shares
  24. cabinet — ministers

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