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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: stock · row · can · rash · toast · track · last · jam

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. row — to paddle
  4. toast — bread
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. track — a song
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. rash — hasty
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. stock — goods
  13. last — finally
  14. rash — a series
  15. can — a tin
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. row — a line
  18. can — a tin
  19. stock — shares
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. last — final
  23. last — to go on
  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