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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: drill · ground · track · saw · mouse · face · stand · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. face — to confront
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. drill — a practice
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. face — part of the head
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stock — shares
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — the earth
  18. track — to keep track
  19. face — to point toward
  20. ground — crushed
  21. drill — army training
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stock — goods

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