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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stock — shares
  5. track — a path
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. club — for dancing
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. charge — a price
  12. rest — a break
  13. club — for golf
  14. present — a gift
  15. charge — in control
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. present — there
  19. track — to keep track
  20. club — a group
  21. present — the time now
  22. stock — goods
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bowl — to roll

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