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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. content — happy
  3. degree — an amount
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stock — goods
  6. degree — from a university
  7. track — a path
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. object — a thing
  10. degree — temperature
  11. object — to protest
  12. suit — to fit
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. suit — clothes
  16. stock — shares
  17. object — an aim
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. track — a song
  20. track — to keep track
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. content — the amount
  24. trunk — of a car

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