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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. firm — steady
  3. track — a path
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. fine — high quality
  6. land — ground
  7. band — a ring
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. track — to keep track
  10. land — a country
  11. firm — decided
  12. land — to come down
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — thin
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. firm — a company
  17. stock — shares
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. band — a music group
  22. track — a song
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lean — to rest against

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