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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: spell · staff · race · file · swing · object · stock · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. object — an aim
  3. stock — goods
  4. track — to keep track
  5. race — the arms race
  6. stock — shares
  7. track — a path
  8. object — a thing
  9. spell — a short time
  10. staff — employees
  11. object — to protest
  12. file — a line of people
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. swing — music
  16. file — a document
  17. spell — magic
  18. file — a tool
  19. swing — to play on
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. swing — in golf
  24. spell — letters

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