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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: jam · branch · roll · track · ground · racket · pass · stock

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. track — a path
  11. branch — a division
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a cake
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. ground — the earth
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. track — a song
  19. stock — goods
  20. ground — a position
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. roll — a list
  24. track — to keep track

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