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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 124 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a song
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ball — a dance
  5. land — a country
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bank — for money
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. land — ground
  13. bank — of a river
  14. land — to come down
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wound — an injury
  18. track — a path
  19. bank — for money
  20. stock — shares
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. ball — a great time

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