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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. track — to keep track
  3. content — the amount
  4. race — humankind
  5. race — the arms race
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. stock — shares
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. race — a contest
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. content — happy
  15. swing — music
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. track — a song
  23. swing — to play on
  24. track — a path

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