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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. stock — shares
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pass — a permit
  6. field — for sport
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. field — a subject
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. field — farmland
  16. stock — goods
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. deal — to handle
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bear — the animal

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