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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a path
  3. track — a song
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. current — happening now
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. current — electric
  14. stock — goods
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. current — of water
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stock — shares
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. deal — to handle
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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