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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 · date · arm · row · net · staff · stock · mate

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. net — in sport
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. track — to keep track
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. row — to paddle
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. row — a line
  11. net — after costs
  12. stock — goods
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mate — a friend
  15. staff — a stick
  16. track — a path
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. net — for catching
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. mate — a partner
  21. staff — employees
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stock — shares
  24. staff — employees

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