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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 · hide · ground · ball · hand · can · track · straw

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. track — to keep track
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. ball — a great time
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. track — a path
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — goods
  18. track — a song
  19. ball — a dance
  20. can — to be able to
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  24. hide — animal skin

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