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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. net — in sport
  3. present — a gift
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. track — a path
  9. roll — a list
  10. club — for dancing
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. present — the time now
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. club — a group
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. present — there
  19. net — after costs
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a cake
  23. club — for golf
  24. net — for catching

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