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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. game — wild animals
  3. track — a path
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. game — a match
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stock — shares
  9. fine — all right
  10. swing — music
  11. spell — a short time
  12. track — a song
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. spell — magic
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. swing — to play on
  20. spell — letters
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. stock — goods

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