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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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 — to keep track
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. track — a path
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rest — what's left
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. track — a song
  18. rush — hurry
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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