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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. track — a song
  3. prune — to trim
  4. charge — in control
  5. board — a committee
  6. stock — goods
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. suit — to fit
  10. ball — a great time
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. board — to get on
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. charge — electricity
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — an illness
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. charge — a price
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stock — a soup base

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