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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: track · hide · scale · cabinet · ball · mark · lash · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stock — goods
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. track — to keep track
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ball — a great time
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mark — a trace
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. track — a path
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. track — a song
  23. scale — in music
  24. mark — a grade

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