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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. track — to keep track
  4. tear — from crying
  5. present — there
  6. march — music
  7. track — a path
  8. object — a thing
  9. tear — from crying
  10. object — an aim
  11. present — a gift
  12. tear — to rip
  13. present — the time now
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. object — to protest
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. march — the month
  20. track — a song
  21. march — the month
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. ball — a dance

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