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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: cell · stock · deal · bore · kick · spell · track · wound

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. wound — an injury
  3. track — a path
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bore — to tire
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bore — to drill
  13. stock — goods
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. kick — in football
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. kick — a thrill
  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