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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. track — to keep track
  3. rock — music
  4. bound — certain
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. club — a group
  7. bound — tied together
  8. stock — shares
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. track — a song
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. track — a path
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bound — obliged
  17. stock — goods
  18. ground — a position
  19. club — for golf
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — the earth
  23. stand — to bear
  24. rock — a stone

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