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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. present — there
  5. present — the time now
  6. rash — hasty
  7. present — a gift
  8. track — a song
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. row — to paddle
  11. track — to keep track
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. row — a line
  15. season — in sport
  16. pound — a weight
  17. stock — shares
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. season — of the year
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. track — a path
  22. rash — a series
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. hide — animal skin

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