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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cap — a hat
  4. spell — a short time
  5. hand — help
  6. stock — goods
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. rest — a break
  13. stock — shares
  14. track — a path
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rock — music
  17. track — to keep track
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. cap — of ice
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. track — a song
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. hand — in cards
  24. cap — a lid

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