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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. ground — the earth
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bass — the fish
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. ground — a position
  12. stock — goods
  13. file — a tool
  14. stem — to come from
  15. file — a document
  16. bass — low music
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. file — a line of people
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. ground — crushed

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