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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stock — goods
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. track — a path
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. rule — government
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. track — a song
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. rule — a law

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