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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: stock · track · jam · date · spell · rash · band · leaves

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — goods
  3. band — a music group
  4. track — a path
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. stock — shares
  7. track — a song
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. rash — hasty
  12. band — a ring
  13. date — the fruit
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. track — to keep track
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. spell — magic
  23. rash — a series
  24. date — on the calendar

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