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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 116 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. firm — a company
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. pop — music
  5. shower — to wash
  6. track — a song
  7. firm — decided
  8. track — a path
  9. stock — goods
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. stock — shares
  12. ball — a dance
  13. shower — rain
  14. firm — steady
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. pop — to visit
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pop — soda
  24. bear — to put up with

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