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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 120 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: bowl · object · hide · stock · plane · swing · net · track

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. track — a path
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stock — shares
  10. net — in sport
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. swing — in golf
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — an aim
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. net — for catching
  19. stock — goods
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. net — after costs

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