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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. track — a song
  3. rash — hasty
  4. track — to keep track
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rash — a series
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rule — government
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stock — goods
  14. suit — clothes
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. suit — to fit
  18. rule — a law
  19. track — a path
  20. suit — in cards
  21. stock — shares
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. sharp — clever
  24. patient — a sick person

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