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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: face · race · staff · track · suit · chip · jam · stock

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. stock — shares
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. race — the arms race
  8. face — part of the head
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. suit — clothes
  11. face — to point toward
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. staff — employees
  17. suit — to fit
  18. face — to confront
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. race — humankind
  21. chip — for betting
  22. suit — in cards
  23. race — a contest
  24. chip — to eat

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