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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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stand — to bear
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. root — of a word
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. object — an aim
  11. stock — shares
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. track — a song
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. object — to protest
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. object — a thing
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. track — to keep track
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. track — a path
  24. stock — goods

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