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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. 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. pop — music
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stock — goods
  4. file — a document
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — for sport
  9. pop — soda
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. field — a subject
  12. sharp — clever
  13. cue — for pool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cue — a signal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. file — a tool
  21. stock — shares
  22. cue — a hint
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. 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