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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: fall · saw · bat · mark · present · track · stock · season

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. mark — a grade
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. stock — shares
  5. season — of the year
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. present — the time now
  9. fall — the season
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. track — to keep track
  12. season — in sport
  13. bat — the animal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stock — goods
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. track — a path
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. present — there
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mark — a trace
  23. present — a gift
  24. track — a song

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