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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 120 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: bass · foot · stand · track · net · bore · mine · land

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bore — to tire
  5. track — a path
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. track — a song
  8. bass — low music
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. land — a country
  11. net — in sport
  12. bore — to drill
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. net — for catching
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mine — for digging
  24. net — after costs

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