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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. track — a song
  3. object — to protest
  4. track — a path
  5. stock — goods
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. can — to be able to
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. can — a tin
  11. race — the arms race
  12. track — to keep track
  13. object — an aim
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a list
  17. can — a tin
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. race — a contest
  21. stock — shares
  22. race — humankind
  23. roll — a cake
  24. object — a thing

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