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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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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: calf · track · foot · tube · mug · bay · last · stock

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. last — to go on
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mug — a cup
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — shares
  13. foot — a measure
  14. tube — a container
  15. last — final
  16. mug — to rob
  17. last — finally
  18. track — a song
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. tube — the underground
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. mug — a face

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