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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. face — to confront
  3. track — a song
  4. face — to point toward
  5. club — for dancing
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. staff — employees
  8. stock — goods
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. track — to keep track
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. club — for golf
  14. face — part of the head
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. stand — to bear
  17. staff — a stick
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. club — a group
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stock — shares
  22. kick — in football
  23. staff — employees
  24. stand — for spectators

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