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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. stock — goods
  4. track — a song
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. stock — shares
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. club — for dancing
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. season — of the year
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — farmland
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. deal — to handle
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. club — a group
  19. track — a path
  20. field — a subject
  21. club — for golf
  22. track — to keep track
  23. season — in sport
  24. deal — an agreement

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