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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stock — shares
  11. fine — all right
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pop — to visit
  15. track — a path
  16. pop — soda
  17. track — to keep track
  18. fine — high quality
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. track — a song
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pop — music

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