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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. stock — shares
  4. track — to keep track
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. track — a song
  13. track — a path
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. stock — goods
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mate — to breed
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — rain
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — a partner
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. nail — for a hammer

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