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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  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. track — a path
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. toast — bread
  5. track — a song
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. stock — shares
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — low music
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bark — to shout
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. track — to keep track
  21. stock — goods
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bark — of a tree
  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