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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. object — a thing
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. stock — goods
  8. object — to protest
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. object — an aim
  11. stock — shares
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. field — farmland
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stock — a soup base

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