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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: stem · mark · pass · pound · track · jam · stock · lash

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. stock — goods
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. track — to keep track
  7. mark — a grade
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. stock — shares
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. stem — to come from
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pass — a permit
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. track — a path
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. jam — in traffic

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