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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. track — to keep track
  3. deal — to handle
  4. cold — an illness
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stock — goods
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fall — the season
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. track — a path
  19. cold — not warm
  20. stock — shares
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bear — the animal
  23. track — a song
  24. cabinet — ministers

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