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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. firm — decided
  3. stock — goods
  4. suit — to fit
  5. track — a path
  6. firm — a company
  7. charge — electricity
  8. track — a song
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. degree — from a university
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. degree — temperature
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — in cards
  21. ball — a great time
  22. degree — an amount
  23. ball — a dance
  24. firm — steady

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