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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 120 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a song
  3. suit — to fit
  4. pound — a weight
  5. suit — clothes
  6. charge — a price
  7. suit — in cards
  8. lean — to bend
  9. file — a document
  10. face — part of the head
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. face — to confront
  14. charge — in control
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. file — a tool
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. track — a path
  20. lean — thin
  21. charge — electricity
  22. face — to point toward
  23. stock — shares
  24. file — a line of people

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