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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. land — a country
  4. track — a path
  5. stock — goods
  6. firm — a company
  7. stock — shares
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. track — to keep track
  11. cell — a phone
  12. land — ground
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. track — a song
  18. firm — steady
  19. land — to come down
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. firm — decided
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bear — the animal

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