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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 120 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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stock — goods
  5. staff — employees
  6. swing — to play on
  7. staff — a stick
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. staff — employees
  10. track — to keep track
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — shares
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. swing — music
  20. can — a tin
  21. track — a song
  22. bear — the animal
  23. present — there
  24. swing — in golf

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