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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. fall — the season
  4. charge — a price
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bulb — for light
  11. charge — in control
  12. stock — shares
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. firm — decided
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rush — hurry
  19. fall — to drop
  20. track — to keep track
  21. stock — goods
  22. fall — to drop
  23. track — a song
  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