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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 · foot · track · bat · stand · kick · safe · straw

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bat — the animal
  4. track — to keep track
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. kick — in football
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stock — shares
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. stand — to bear
  14. track — a song
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. stock — goods
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bat — in an idiom

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