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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mark — a grade
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. drill — army training
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. mark — a trace
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. swing — music
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. wound — an injury
  18. swing — to play on
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. track — a path
  22. drill — a practice
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. stock — goods

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