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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. current — happening now
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. object — to protest
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. current — electric
  7. swing — music
  8. track — a song
  9. stock — shares
  10. date — the fruit
  11. object — an aim
  12. ball — a great time
  13. track — to keep track
  14. stock — goods
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. object — a thing
  17. current — of water
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. swing — to play on
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. ball — a dance
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. swing — in golf
  24. track — a path

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