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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. court — for sport
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stock — goods
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stock — shares
  9. court — of a king
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. track — a song
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. track — a path
  21. deal — to handle
  22. court — of law
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. track — to keep track

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