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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. track — to keep track
  3. court — of law
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. track — a path
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stock — shares
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. court — of a king
  18. bass — low music
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. wound — an injury
  21. track — a song
  22. court — for sport
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bass — the fish

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