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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. capital — a city
  4. capital — money
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. track — a song
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stock — shares
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. stock — goods
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. wake — a trail
  15. vault — a safe
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. stock — a soup base

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