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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — to keep track
  3. net — for catching
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. key — in music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stock — shares
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. key — the most important part
  10. swing — to play on
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. net — in sport
  13. swing — music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. firm — a company
  17. stock — goods
  18. track — a song
  19. firm — decided
  20. net — after costs
  21. swing — in golf
  22. firm — steady
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. temple — side of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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