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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. rush — hurry
  6. game — wild animals
  7. suit — clothes
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wound — an injury
  10. suit — in cards
  11. track — a song
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — temperature
  15. track — to keep track
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. track — a path
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. degree — from a university
  20. suit — to fit
  21. game — a match
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. stock — goods
  24. wound — an injury

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