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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 120 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. track — a path
  3. stock — goods
  4. track — a song
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. track — to keep track
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. drill — army training
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — completely
  20. rash — a series
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. season — of the year
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — hasty

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