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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: calf · land · date · key · net · stock · pop · track

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — music
  3. net — for catching
  4. key — the most important part
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. net — after costs
  11. pop — soda
  12. net — in sport
  13. track — a path
  14. stock — goods
  15. land — a country
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. key — for a lock
  18. track — to keep track
  19. land — to come down
  20. stock — shares
  21. key — in music
  22. land — ground
  23. track — a song
  24. date — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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