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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. key — the most important part
  3. track — a path
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. stock — shares
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stock — goods
  9. track — a song
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pop — music
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. chair — a leader
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. key — in music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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