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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 opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stock — shares
  3. track — a song
  4. can — to be able to
  5. firm — steady
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. stock — goods
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. rule — government
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rule — a law
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — decided
  19. mark — a trace
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — to wash
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. track — a path
  24. can — a tin

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