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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. stock — goods
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. stock — shares
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. bass — low music
  19. track — a song
  20. date — the fruit
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pitcher — a jug

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