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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. band — a ring
  3. mark — a grade
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. swing — to play on
  7. degree — an amount
  8. swing — music
  9. track — to keep track
  10. band — a music group
  11. tear — from crying
  12. track — a path
  13. present — a gift
  14. stock — shares
  15. track — a song
  16. degree — from a university
  17. tear — from crying
  18. present — the time now
  19. mark — a trace
  20. present — there
  21. stock — goods
  22. degree — temperature
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. tear — to rip

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