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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 116 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — a song
  3. content — the amount
  4. stock — goods
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pop — music
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pop — to visit
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pop — soda
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. track — to keep track
  18. 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