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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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. track — a path
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. stand — to bear
  7. face — part of the head
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. track — a song
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stock — shares
  13. mine — for digging
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. face — to confront
  17. swing — music
  18. stock — goods
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. swing — in golf
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. face — to point toward
  24. swing — to play on

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