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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: track · stock · kick · foot · pitch · hide · face · vault

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to confront
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. track — a song
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pitch — completely
  18. vault — a safe
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. face — to point toward
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. kick — in football

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