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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. field — for sport
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stock — goods
  6. tube — a container
  7. field — a subject
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. sharp — clever
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. field — farmland
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bound — certain
  24. stock — shares

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