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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 120 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 is an ace ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. track — to keep track
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. track — a path
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. stock — shares
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. row — to paddle
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. row — a line
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. band — a music group
  19. stock — goods
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. band — a ring
  22. deal — to handle
  23. track — a song
  24. arm — part of the body

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