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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's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — goods
  4. charge — electricity
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mark — a trace
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — for sport
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. charge — a price
  11. mark — a grade
  12. charge — in control
  13. stock — shares
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. field — farmland
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mark — to pay attention

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