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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 124 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. firm — steady
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. lean — thin
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stock — shares
  8. board — to get on
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. firm — a company
  11. lean — to bend
  12. rest — what's left
  13. firm — decided
  14. track — a path
  15. sharp — clever
  16. rest — what's left
  17. board — a committee
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rest — a break
  20. stock — goods
  21. track — a song
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. sharp — with an edge

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