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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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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: wake · trunk · safe · pound · perch · stock · track · rush

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. rush — hurry
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. wake — a trail
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pound — a weight
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. stock — shares
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. stock — goods
  20. track — a path
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. track — a song
  24. safe — a strongbox

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