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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. stock — goods
  3. charge — in control
  4. last — finally
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stock — shares
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. charge — electricity
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. last — to go on
  14. bass — low music
  15. track — a path
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. ball — a dance
  19. charge — a price
  20. last — final
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ball — a great time
  23. track — a song
  24. bass — the fish

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