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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. lean — to bend
  3. track — to keep track
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. stock — shares
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. track — a song
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stock — goods
  12. wake — a trail
  13. court — of a king
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bound — tied together
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bound — certain
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. court — for sport
  22. bear — the animal
  23. court — of law
  24. lean — thin

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