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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. track — to keep track
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. roll — a cake
  5. stock — shares
  6. scale — size or range
  7. stock — goods
  8. fork — in a road
  9. firm — a company
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. track — a song
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. firm — steady
  17. swing — in golf
  18. firm — decided
  19. swing — to play on
  20. roll — a list
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. scale — in music
  24. track — a path

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