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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 · track · capital · face · jam · stand · rash · bark

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. face — to confront
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. rash — a series
  5. stock — shares
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. track — a song
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. capital — a city
  10. stand — to bear
  11. capital — money
  12. face — to point toward
  13. track — a path
  14. rash — hasty
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stock — goods
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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