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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: pop · bore · pit · roll · net · bay · track · stock

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. pop — soda
  5. net — in sport
  6. track — a path
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pop — to visit
  9. net — for catching
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. track — a song
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. roll — a list
  17. net — after costs
  18. roll — a cake
  19. stock — goods
  20. pit — a hole
  21. stock — shares
  22. pop — music
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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