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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. stock — goods
  4. cap — a hat
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cap — of ice
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. field — a subject
  18. leaves — lets stay

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