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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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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: mine · stock · current · track · foot · racket · lie · leaves

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. current — electric
  6. track — a path
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. current — happening now
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. mine — for digging
  18. lie — to recline
  19. current — of water
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. foot — a measure
  24. stock — shares

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