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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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. spring — a coil
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. can — a tin
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — in cards
  11. mark — a trace
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. mark — a grade
  15. field — farmland
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — of water
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. suit — to fit
  22. field — for sport
  23. pass — a permit
  24. stock — shares

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