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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: row · track · foot · stock · land · season · lie · root

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. root — the cause
  3. land — ground
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. land — to come down
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. root — of a word
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. track — a path
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. land — a country
  15. row — to paddle
  16. lie — to recline
  17. track — to keep track
  18. root — of a plant
  19. stock — goods
  20. row — a line
  21. season — in sport
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. season — of the year
  24. stock — shares

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