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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. stock — shares
  3. pitch — completely
  4. snap — to click
  5. rash — hasty
  6. club — a group
  7. can — to be able to
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. club — for golf
  11. rash — a series
  12. track — a path
  13. track — a song
  14. can — a tin
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. can — a tin
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stock — goods
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rash — on the skin

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