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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: bear · charge · ground · cap · track · stock · bark · mark

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — a position
  3. cap — a lid
  4. mark — a grade
  5. track — a path
  6. cap — a hat
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bark — to shout
  9. charge — a price
  10. mark — a trace
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stock — goods
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. cap — of ice
  15. stock — shares
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. charge — in control
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. track — a song
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bark — of a tree

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