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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.

Words on the sheet
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: track · perch · field · stick · net · arm · hide · stock

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. net — after costs
  6. track — a path
  7. track — a song
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. net — for catching
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. track — to keep track
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. net — in sport
  14. stock — shares
  15. perch — the fish
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. field — farmland
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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