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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. tear — from crying
  3. track — a path
  4. rash — hasty
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. suit — to fit
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. rash — a series
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. tear — from crying
  15. squash — to crush
  16. suit — in cards
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. suit — clothes
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. stock — shares
  22. pass — a permit
  23. tear — to rip
  24. stock — goods

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