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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 the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. track — to keep track
  3. spell — a short time
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. track — a path
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. track — a song
  8. branch — a division
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stock — goods
  12. content — the amount
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. cap — a hat
  16. stock — shares
  17. spell — magic
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. cap — a lid
  20. spell — letters
  21. cap — of ice
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. content — happy

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