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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pop — soda
  4. present — a gift
  5. track — a path
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. rule — a law
  8. shower — to wash
  9. stock — goods
  10. pop — music
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. shower — rain
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wound — an injury
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. track — a song
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. present — there
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. present — the time now
  23. rule — government
  24. stock — shares

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