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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.

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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bear — the animal
  5. field — for sport
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. stock — shares
  12. field — farmland
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. rock — a stone

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