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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · track · leaves · swing · clip · stock · bay · firm

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. track — a song
  3. stock — shares
  4. swing — in golf
  5. track — a path
  6. pop — music
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. firm — steady
  10. clip — to cut
  11. swing — music
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — a video
  15. pop — to visit
  16. firm — decided
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. firm — a company
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pop — soda
  22. swing — to play on
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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