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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. file — a document
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. stand — to bear
  8. file — a line of people
  9. track — a song
  10. bank — for money
  11. stock — goods
  12. drill — army training
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stock — shares
  15. track — a path
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. file — a tool
  24. straw — a straw man

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