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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. track — to keep track
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. stock — shares
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. stock — goods
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. mark — a trace
  10. track — a path
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. season — of the year
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. track — a song
  17. tube — a container
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. season — in sport
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — the underground

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