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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. pop — music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cell — a phone
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. stock — goods
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bound — certain
  13. track — a song
  14. rest — a break
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. track — a path
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pop — soda
  22. stock — shares
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pop — to visit

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