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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. track — to keep track
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. track — a path
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. track — a song
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rush — hurry
  18. stock — shares
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. date — the fruit
  23. stock — goods
  24. rush — a thrill

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