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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. track — to keep track
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. staff — employees
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — shares
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. staff — a stick
  16. content — the amount
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. track — a song
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. staff — employees
  23. content — happy
  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