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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. track — to keep track
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a cake
  7. stock — goods
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. track — a song
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. stock — shares
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pass — a permit
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. roll — a list
  19. cue — a hint
  20. row — to paddle
  21. prune — to trim
  22. track — a path
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. prune — to trim

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