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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. track — a song
  3. season — of the year
  4. stock — shares
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stock — goods
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. season — in sport
  10. pass — a permit
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. track — a path
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. wound — an injury
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. deal — to handle
  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