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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. track — to keep track
  3. kick — in football
  4. suit — clothes
  5. stock — goods
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. pass — a permit
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. cold — not warm
  11. track — a path
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. cell — a phone
  15. suit — to fit
  16. track — a song
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cold — an illness
  23. deal — to handle
  24. cell — in biology

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