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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stock — goods
  3. track — to keep track
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. track — a path
  6. game — wild animals
  7. stock — shares
  8. track — a song
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. key — in music
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. game — a match
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a hole
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. key — for a lock
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. perch — the fish
  22. key — the most important part
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. hide — animal skin

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