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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: racket · kick · mate · fall · stock · file · track · suit

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. mate — a partner
  3. fall — to drop
  4. suit — clothes
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mate — a friend
  7. file — a line of people
  8. suit — to fit
  9. file — a tool
  10. track — a path
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. fall — to drop
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. fall — the season
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. file — a document
  19. kick — in football
  20. mate — to breed
  21. track — to keep track
  22. suit — in cards
  23. track — a song
  24. stock — goods

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