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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 124 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. track — a path
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. last — final
  11. track — a song
  12. scale — size or range
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. last — finally
  18. track — to keep track
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stock — goods
  21. scale — in music
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. last — to go on

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