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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. toast — bread
  3. file — a document
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. present — a gift
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. sharp — clever
  11. stem — to come from
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. present — there
  16. file — a tool
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. file — a line of people
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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