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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 120 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pound — a weight
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pass — a permit
  7. rush — hurry
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bank — for money
  10. saw — the tool
  11. track — a path
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. row — a line
  18. bank — for money
  19. stock — shares
  20. track — a song
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bank — of a river

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