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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. club — for dancing
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. track — to keep track
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. track — a path
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. club — for golf
  10. track — a song
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stock — goods
  14. can — a tin
  15. deal — to handle
  16. can — to be able to
  17. club — a group
  18. branch — a division
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rest — what's left
  21. can — a tin
  22. rest — a break
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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