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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. field — a subject
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. stock — shares
  8. field — farmland
  9. stock — goods
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. board — a committee
  15. field — for sport
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. board — to get on

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