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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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 · root · court · ball · hide · track

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. ball — a great time
  4. track — a song
  5. ball — a dance
  6. track — to keep track
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. court — of a king
  9. root — of a plant
  10. track — a path
  11. court — for sport
  12. stock — shares
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. court — of law
  15. root — the cause
  16. stock — goods
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. root — of a word

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