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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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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. track — to keep track
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. club — a group
  5. mate — a partner
  6. scale — size or range
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. mate — to breed
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. track — a song
  11. stock — shares
  12. hand — in cards
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. club — for golf
  16. ball — a great time
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. track — a path
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mate — a friend
  22. hand — help
  23. scale — in music
  24. club — for dancing

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