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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: lie · track · craft · board · spring · ball · bay · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. ball — a great time
  6. spring — of water
  7. ball — a dance
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stock — goods
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. track — a path
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. spring — the season
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — a skill
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. board — to get on
  21. spring — a coil
  22. lie — to recline
  23. craft — boats
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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