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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stock — shares
  4. track — to keep track
  5. band — a ring
  6. capital — a city
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. stand — to bear
  17. track — a song
  18. band — a music group
  19. track — a path
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. capital — money
  23. stock — goods
  24. leaves — lets stay

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