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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 116 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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. tube — a container
  4. rule — government
  5. swing — in golf
  6. tube — the underground
  7. swing — to play on
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. perch — the fish
  13. stock — shares
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stock — goods
  16. rule — a law
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. track — a song
  21. lie — to recline
  22. swing — music
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fork — a garden tool

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