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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. track — to keep track
  3. mark — a trace
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. swing — music
  6. roll — a cake
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mark — a grade
  12. firm — steady
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. firm — a company
  16. track — a path
  17. firm — decided
  18. track — a song
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. swing — in golf
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. roll — a list
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bat — the animal

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