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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. track — a song
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. track — a path
  6. can — a tin
  7. wake — a trail
  8. can — a tin
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. can — to be able to
  13. hand — help
  14. chip — for betting
  15. track — to keep track
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. hand — in cards
  24. stock — goods

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