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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. scale — in music
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. spring — of water
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stock — goods
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. spring — a coil
  15. ball — a dance
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. spring — the season
  18. scale — size or range

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