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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. stock — shares
  5. can — a tin
  6. fine — all right
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. field — farmland
  12. season — of the year
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. fine — high quality
  18. can — a tin
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. can — to be able to
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. stock — goods
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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