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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: nail · bat · root · firm · arm · mark · track · stock

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bat — the animal
  3. track — to keep track
  4. stock — shares
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. firm — steady
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mark — a grade
  13. firm — decided
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. root — of a word
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. firm — a company
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stock — goods
  24. track — a song

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