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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. mark — a grade
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pop — soda
  6. stock — shares
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pop — music
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mark — a trace
  19. pop — to visit
  20. stock — goods
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. capital — money
  23. track — a song
  24. mark — to pay attention

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