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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: present · last · bank · stock · land · track · bay · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. land — a country
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. last — finally
  5. track — to keep track
  6. land — to come down
  7. stock — shares
  8. land — ground
  9. present — the time now
  10. bank — of a river
  11. net — in sport
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. present — there
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. last — to go on
  18. net — after costs
  19. stock — goods
  20. bank — for money
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. last — final
  23. present — a gift
  24. bank — for money

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