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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. mug — to rob
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. track — a song
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cold — an illness
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — a face
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a word
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stock — shares
  18. track — a path
  19. cold — not warm
  20. stock — goods
  21. fine — all right
  22. root — of a plant
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fine — high quality

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