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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. track — a song
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. track — to keep track
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. track — a path
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pitch — completely
  15. stock — shares
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. toast — bread
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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