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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pitch — completely
  3. track — to keep track
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stock — goods
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. track — a path
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mine — for digging
  18. content — happy
  19. stock — shares
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. content — the amount
  24. nail — for a hammer

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