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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. drill — army training
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stock — goods
  6. track — a path
  7. mug — to rob
  8. perch — the fish
  9. track — to keep track
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. face — to point toward
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — part of the head
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stock — shares
  20. mug — a face
  21. track — a song
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. perch — for a bird

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