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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. track — to keep track
  3. spell — letters
  4. chip — for betting
  5. track — a path
  6. swing — in golf
  7. key — in music
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. spell — magic
  10. chip — to eat
  11. swing — music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. swing — to play on
  18. spell — a short time
  19. track — a song
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. stock — goods

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