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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. track — a path
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. field — a subject
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stock — shares
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. charge — electricity
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. field — for sport
  13. stem — to come from
  14. track — a song
  15. snap — to click
  16. charge — a price
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. charge — in control
  19. field — farmland
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bound — tied together
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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