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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. track — a path
  3. bound — tied together
  4. track — a song
  5. stock — goods
  6. track — to keep track
  7. scale — in music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stock — shares
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cap — of ice
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bound — certain
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cap — a hat

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