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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 120 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: track · mine · bowl · dip · stock · ball · rash · patient

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. stock — goods
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. ball — a dance
  9. track — a path
  10. stock — shares
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. ball — a great time
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. track — a song
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. rash — a series
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bowl — to roll

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