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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. track — to keep track
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stock — shares
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. rock — a stone
  7. track — a path
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. track — a song
  12. saw — the tool
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. stock — goods
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pop — music
  17. saw — the tool
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. spell — letters
  24. pop — soda

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