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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. last — to go on
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. mark — a trace
  9. last — final
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. dip — to sink
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rash — a series
  17. stock — shares
  18. field — farmland
  19. mark — a grade
  20. stock — goods
  21. last — finally
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — hasty

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