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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: stock · track · pitch · hide · cell · wake · tube · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. track — a song
  7. land — ground
  8. track — a path
  9. pitch — completely
  10. tube — a container
  11. cell — a phone
  12. wake — a trail
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. land — to come down
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. cell — in biology
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. stock — goods
  23. tube — the underground
  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