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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. stock — shares
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rush — hurry
  5. club — for dancing
  6. track — to keep track
  7. spring — a coil
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. club — for golf
  11. spring — the season
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. spring — of water
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. track — a song
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. club — a group

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