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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: track · current · bat · kick · racket · mouse · root · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. root — of a plant
  7. current — of water
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. stock — goods
  13. bat — the animal
  14. current — electric
  15. track — a path
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. root — the cause
  20. kick — in football
  21. track — a song
  22. current — happening now
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. root — of a word

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