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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. track — a path
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. wind — moving air
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. drill — a practice
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. stock — goods
  13. chip — for betting
  14. wind — moving air
  15. drill — the tool
  16. cell — in biology
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. stock — shares
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. chip — to eat
  21. drill — army training
  22. track — a song
  23. cell — a phone
  24. track — to keep track

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