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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: track · bank · wake · stock · spring · toast · pop · deal

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. toast — bread
  3. pop — soda
  4. spring — the season
  5. pop — music
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. spring — of water
  8. track — to keep track
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stock — shares
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. track — a path
  15. wake — a trail
  16. stock — goods
  17. pop — to visit
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. deal — to handle
  22. track — a song
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bank — for money

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