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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bass — the fish
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — low music
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. track — a path
  10. scale — size or range
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. present — a gift
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. track — a song
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — goods
  18. wake — a trail
  19. present — there
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — in music
  22. stock — shares
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. wake — before a funeral

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