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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mug — a cup
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bear — the animal
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. chest — a box
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mug — a face
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. track — a song
  18. stock — shares
  19. track — to keep track
  20. craft — boats
  21. mug — to rob
  22. stock — goods
  23. track — a path
  24. chest — of your body

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