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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 120 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. game — wild animals
  7. track — a path
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. band — a ring
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. game — a match
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. stock — goods
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. track — to keep track
  19. stock — shares
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. band — a music group
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — a trail
  24. nail — on a finger

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