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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. stock — goods
  3. track — a path
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fork — in a road
  9. track — a song
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stock — shares
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. cap — of ice
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. track — to keep track

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