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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. band — a music group
  4. stock — goods
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. stock — shares
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fine — all right
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. suit — clothes
  11. fork — in a road
  12. face — to confront
  13. track — a song
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. suit — in cards
  16. band — a ring
  17. fine — high quality
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. face — part of the head
  20. suit — to fit
  21. face — to point toward
  22. track — to keep track
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. band — a rubber band

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