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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: season · stock · lean · field · bear · hide · stick · track

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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. stock — goods
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. track — to keep track
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stock — shares
  8. bear — the animal
  9. track — a song
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — in sport
  12. lean — to bend
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lean — thin
  15. bear — the animal
  16. field — a subject
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. track — a path
  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