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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. present — the time now
  4. file — a tool
  5. track — a path
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. present — there
  14. file — a line of people
  15. game — a match
  16. stock — goods
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stock — shares
  19. present — a gift
  20. file — a document
  21. pass — a permit
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. game — wild animals

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