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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. field — a subject
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. field — for sport
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. deal — to handle
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. field — farmland
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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