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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: bay · stock · hand · track · kid · vault · wake · pitch

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a song
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. hand — help
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. stock — shares
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pitch — completely
  16. kid — child
  17. stock — goods
  18. kid — to tease
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. track — a path
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. hand — in cards
  24. wake — before a funeral

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