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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 116 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pop — soda
  3. stock — goods
  4. pop — to visit
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. track — a path
  7. stock — shares
  8. net — after costs
  9. mark — a trace
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pop — music
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mark — a grade
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. net — in sport
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. net — for catching

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