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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: kid · arm · stock · stand · rule · nail · lie · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rule — government
  7. stock — goods
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. kid — to tease
  10. stock — shares
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. kid — child
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rule — a law
  20. track — a path
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. lie — to recline

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