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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 · last · foot · track · board · coach · hide · chip

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. chip — for betting
  5. stock — goods
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. foot — a measure
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. chip — to eat
  11. last — final
  12. last — finally
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. track — a path
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. board — to get on
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. board — a committee

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