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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. track — a path
  6. stock — goods
  7. lean — thin
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. court — of law
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pass — a permit
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — of water
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. tear — from crying
  18. lean — to bend
  19. spring — the season
  20. court — for sport
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. tear — to rip
  23. court — of a king
  24. rush — a thrill

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