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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 · pit · calf · suit · track · dip · game · chest

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. suit — to fit
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. suit — in cards
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stock — shares
  15. chest — of your body
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. dip — to sink
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stock — goods
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. game — a match
  22. track — a path
  23. pit — in a race
  24. suit — clothes

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