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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stock — shares
  4. can — to be able to
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wound — an injury
  7. track — a path
  8. track — to keep track
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. root — the cause
  12. can — a tin
  13. wound — an injury
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — of a plant
  16. kid — child
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — in cards
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. can — a tin
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. kid — to tease

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