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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — farmland
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. court — of law
  7. stock — goods
  8. court — for sport
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. court — of a king
  11. stock — shares
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. chest — of your body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. craft — boats
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. chest — a box

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