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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. field — a subject
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. field — for sport
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. stock — goods
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bound — tied together
  12. shower — to wash
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bound — certain
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. deal — to handle
  17. mate — to breed
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. field — farmland
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mate — a friend
  23. shower — rain
  24. bound — obliged

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