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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. object — to protest
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. band — a music group
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. stock — shares
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. band — a ring
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a city
  19. stock — goods
  20. object — a thing
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. track — a song
  24. object — an aim

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