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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · deal · cap · net · track · hide · squash · stock

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. squash — the sport
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. stock — goods
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. cap — a hat
  10. track — a song
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. net — in sport
  15. stock — shares
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. squash — to crush
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. track — a path
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. track — to keep track
  24. squash — the vegetable

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