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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: date · hide · stock · track · chip · sharp · present · net

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. sharp — clever
  3. present — the time now
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. net — after costs
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. net — for catching
  9. chip — for betting
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. net — in sport
  12. stock — shares
  13. chip — to eat
  14. track — a song
  15. date — the fruit
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. stock — goods
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. present — there
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. hide — to keep secret

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