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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. fall — to drop
  6. track — a path
  7. fall — the season
  8. cue — a hint
  9. fall — to drop
  10. shower — rain
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. track — to keep track
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. date — the fruit
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. cue — for pool
  19. mark — a trace
  20. track — a song
  21. cue — a signal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. date — on the calendar

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