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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rest — a break
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stock — goods
  8. prune — to trim
  9. track — a song
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. track — a path
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stock — shares
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. key — the most important part
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. track — to keep track
  21. key — in music
  22. wound — an injury
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wake — before a funeral

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